


Child of Light

by bananacosmicgirl



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-01-29
Updated: 2007-01-29
Packaged: 2019-05-12 22:52:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 35,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14737323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bananacosmicgirl/pseuds/bananacosmicgirl
Summary: Something strange is happening to Spike. How will this affect his relationship with Buffy. R





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Rating: R to be on the safe side. Some language/sex/violence, but none more than what you would see on the show, really.
> 
> Feedback: I love feedback!!
> 
> Distribution: Death Marked Love, ff.net. Anyone else, just ask.
> 
> Disclaimers: I don't own the characters in this story, yada, yada, yada.
> 
> AN1: Buffy and Spike have been getting closer, and one night things change – in more than one way.
> 
> AN2: This is a response to challenge no 23 on Death Marked Love. The challenge will be posted last. It is set somewhere in an imaginary season 6. Buffy died, but she's back. How? I don't know… Have some imagination!

It was odd.

 

No other word than odd could describe the feeling Buffy Anne Summers had, sitting next to Spike on the couch in her home, watching Mulàn together with her little sister.

 

"Oh, this song is so pretty," the brunette by the tv exclaimed, referring to the song 'Reflection'. "I have the soundtrack, and on there is a version by Christina Aguilera, but it's not as good."

 

"Dawn, are you going to watch the movie or just talk all the way through it?"

 

Dawn glared at her sister but fell quiet. Buffy heard the one vampire in the room chuckle, but ignored him.

 

It was not the fact that the three of them were sitting there, watching a movie and eating popcorn that was odd really. They could have been any two friends and the little sister, and that would not have been odd. In such a picture, Spike and her would probably have been dating too.

 

But not in her world.

 

No, Buffy's world had to be different, of course. She was the Slayer, the Chosen One, and had been so for the last few years. Her sacred duty was to slay the vampires – and anything else dark, scary and demon-y – and to protect the innocents of the world.

 

Her sister was not her real sister; or maybe she was now, after Glory had been killed, but to begin with, she had been a big mystical blob of energy, called 'the Key'. The only reason she was sitting on the living room floor now was because the Monks had become scared and made the Key human, and then sent it to her in the form of the sister she knew as Dawn. Buffy and all her friends had all been given memories of Dawn, as if she had been there all their lives. Odd would not even begin to describe that.

 

And then there was Spike. The more than hundred-year-old vampire, who got his name because he had enjoyed putting railroad spikes through people's head in the beginning of his vampire-career, but whom now was neutered after the Initiative had put a chip in his head. A little tiny chip, that sent bolts of electricity through his brain if he ever tried to hurt a human.

 

Which was why he was here at the moment.

 

Heading home from patrol together, Buffy and Spike had bumped into some guys – humans – who were just about to rape a drunk girl in one of the many dark alleys of Sunnydale. Buffy had told him not to do anything because they both sensed the boys were human. But then, one of the four guys had started hitting him, Spike had jammed him into the wall, knocking them both unconscious – the boy from slamming his head on the wall, Spike from the chip.

 

Buffy had easily managed to get the remaining three boys off of the girl, and had helped her back to the street, where a cab conveniently pulled up.

 

As she walked back to the alley, she noticed Spike, leaning on the wall, clutching his head in his hands. The boys were all gone, but he could hardly move.

 

"Spike?" she had asked him, and he had looked up at her, his face consorted in pain.

 

"C'mon, Spike, let's go home." She had taken his hand and they had made their way back to her house. Once they were inside, she had put him on the sofa where he was now lying. Dawn had come down after hearing the two enter and they had decided to watch a movie together to relax.

 

So, neither the normal family nor friend.

 

Odd.

 

But nice.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Summertime was nice in Sunnydale. Not that the winter was ever all that cold on California's busiest Hellmouth, but it became chilly, and Buffy liked it when she did not have to wear layer upon layer of clothing when out patrolling.

 

Tonight was a nice night – at least as far as the weather was concerned. The evil undead were still around, and the Slayer had to fight as she did every night. Vampire after vampire was turned to dust, when suddenly she found herself cornered with a big, extremely ugly demon in front of her. He was bleeding on his forehead, where she had kicked him earlier, but he did not let that stop him.

 

"Gave me quite the match there, Slayer," he growled. "But it's up to no good, because tonight will be your last…"

 

She broke him of by kneeing him in his privates, grabbing her stake off the ground and pushed it through his heart, all in one fluid motion.

 

"Sorry, I missed that last part. What were you saying?" she asked as the vampire exploded. She dusted off her jeans when she suddenly heard a familiar voice.

 

"That took you a while, Slayer," the bleached vampire walked out of the bushes. "Thought I'd have to come an' save you."

 

"Then why didn't you instead of hiding in the trees like a scared little kitten?" Buffy asked. "You know, if you're gonna be a Scooby, you'll have to act like one."

 

"Oh but Slayer –"

 

"Buffy! Not Slayer."

 

"Slayer, I knew you had it under control. You'd never let some loser like that bite you."

 

"Whatever Spike. I'm going home; I'm tired."

 

"But the night is still young," Spike said poetically, holding out his hands and motioning around the quiet cemetery.

 

"For you, bleach boy. Not for me." She was walking away and he began running after her.

 

"Slayer –"

 

"Say good night, Spike," she told him without turning around.

 

Realizing he would not get any more company out of the blonde Slayer, Spike stopped and replied, "Good night, Spike," to Buffy, who just kept on walking.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Walking over the graveyard, Spike suddenly heard voices. Actually, it was more like low growling, and it was in a language Spike didn't know, but as he came closer, he saw two big, purplish-colored, ugly demons. Then came another three, but they kept quiet. The three were smaller than the first two, probably shorter than he was, Spike thought. They would be no problem to take out.

 

Grabbing a small knife he happened to be carrying in his pocket, he attacked.

 

The three small ones were fast to go. He came up behind them and stabbed the first one in the back without interruption. The other two small ones turned around and began kicking at him as the one Spike had just stabbed died on the ground underneath him. The little ones only reached Spike to his shoulder, and no kicks reached higher than his chest. Spike grabbed a foot as the one kicked, and threw him around. He landed on the ground with a thud, and Spike jammed the knife into its back, killing the creature.

 

Ahead of them, the two bigger demons were noticing him. They had begun digging in the ground, but put down their shovels as they heard the fight.

 

"Hey, what you doin'?" the tallest one asked, walking over to Spike. He punched Spike in the face, hard, landing Spike on the ground several feet away. He groaned but got up. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the shovels the demons had been digging with, lying on the ground. He leaped up and grabbed the shovel before the demons knew what was happening. Spike hit the third little one to the ground with the shovel, as he was in the way between him and the big ones, and set the knife into its back.

 

The two big ones left.

 

He ran forward, swaying the shovel back and forth, and he managed to cut one deep in the arm, making blue blood zip out of it, slowly down the demons arm. Unfortunately, this did not kill the demon; it only made him angrier.

 

He saw the fifth and last one come up from his side, a knife in his hand too. He leaped forward and Spike jumped back, but not quickly enough. The demon managed to cut him right over his chest, making him scream in pain. Then he instantly recollected himself and threw the shovel in the demon's head, throwing him to the ground and cutting him in the back.

 

One left.

 

Spike picked up the shovel quickly and proceeded towards it. But the demon was faster as it threw itself at him, pinning him to the ground and grinning an all-evil smile. It leaned forward, its scarred skin looking a sick shade of blue and a row of yellow teeth showing.

 

"Shouldn't mess with me," it said and took the shovel out of Spike's hand. It held it above Spike's throat and was just going to separate his head from his body when Spike kicked the demon in its stomach. Then he reached out and set the knife through his back, at the same time as he, with the other hand, pushed the shovel off his throat.

 

The demon gurgled and then fell down over Spike. Spike screamed in pain as the demon's blood began zippering down into his chest-wound, and with his last powers, Spike pushed the dead demon off his chest, then he lost consciousness.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Buffy had heard noise as she was walking home, and she could feel something odd in the air. Slayer sense was always handy to have she thought, as she tiredly walked back onto the cemetery. It was when she heard Spike scream that her blood froze and she began running.

 

She was running among the tombs, trying to find the bleached vampire – and she thanked god that he was bleached when she saw his shining white hair on the ground a few feet away, because had his hair not been platinum white, she might not have spotted him.

 

"Spike!"

 

She landed on the ground next to him and shook him lightly.

 

"Spike!"

 

She noticed how much blood he had lost; it was everywhere. She also saw the big ugly demon beside him, and she knew that it was good for it that it was dead, because otherwise she would have killed it in the most painful way possible.

 

Suddenly, Spike moaned and Buffy's thoughts went back to him. He opened his eyes and stared up at her, confusion written on his face.

 

"Slay'r?" he asked, slurring a little.

 

"Yeah, it's me… What happened Spike?" she asked, although she knew the answer. "No, don't tell me, let's just get out of here before some vampires come looking for an easy meal."

 

"U-hu…"

 

She helped him stand, arm around his back. He swayed, but stood. Then they began their walk back home.

 

"Crypt's that way…" Spike muttered as Buffy brought him on the street leading to her house.

 

"You really think I'm gonna dump you there when you look like that?"

 

He looked at her, one eyebrow raised. He really thought she would.

 

"Oh shut up," Buffy muttered, although he had not said anything.

 

The fates seemed to give them a break for once, for nothing attacked them in the hour it took for the duo to get home. Once inside the house, Spike collapsed on the hallway floor.

 

"Spike, what's up?" Buffy asked worriedly. "I've never seen you like this before."

 

"It bloody hurts Slayer!" he roared, seemingly in such pain that it was causing his eyes to tear.

 

She helped him up to her room on the second floor, because she would not leave him on the sofa in his condition. Instead, she put him in her bed and pulled off his shoes. He was asleep by the time she was done. Deciding that she should clean off his wounds, she pulled the first aid kit out of the bathroom cabinet, and sat down next to him.

 

The gash across his chest looked bad. Purple demon-blood was mixed with Spike's deep red, and Buffy cleaned it as much as she could. The scratches on his face and arms were already beginning to fade and Buffy ignored those, knowing that pouring disinfecting liquid into them would only slow the healing process down.

 

When she was done, she laid down next to him, falling asleep within minutes.

 

 

* * *

 

Spike woke up feeling out of place. Not only was he lying on a soft bed; he also had the slayer whom he loved above everything else right next to him. She was sleeping, one arm around him. It was still dark outside, so it had to be early. Looking over at the alarm clock, this was confirmed. 4:28.

 

Spike looked down at himself. The wounds he had gotten earlier that night were gone, thanks to the vampiric healing. His shirt was still soaked in blood, but he did not care. Right where he was lying that moment was his heaven.

 

She moved.

 

Oh no, not good. The slayer would stake him good and proper if she woke up like this.

 

"Spike…" Buffy mumbled.

 

"Yes love?" Spike said in a nervous voice, before realizing that she was dreaming. She was moving around, pulling her leg up and down along his side, moaning. Spike felt himself harden at the petite Slayer's movement, and had to work hard to not moan himself.

 

"Oh Spike that feels good… mm…" she mumbled, moving her head closer to him so that her lips were almost touching him.

 

"Slayer?" he whimpered quietly, because if he did not wake her up right then, he did not know how it was going to end.

 

Slowly she opened her eyes, and she smiled when she saw him. "Spike," she breathed. She did not move away. No, instead she was eyeing him, and it was not long before she noticed the bulge between his legs.

 

"Spike, did I… um… do… something when I was… sleeping?" she asked, her face reddening.

 

"Nothing that I didn't like, love," Spike replied with a cocky grin.

 

Oh god how cute he looked, she thought. All manly. Oh yes, definitely manly. She remembered how good it had felt in her dream, where she and Spike had been making love. Weird dream, but definitely a great one.

 

Suddenly, she found herself crushing her lips down onto Spike's.

 

It felt even better than in the dream.

 

He wrapped his arms around her, and she rolled on top of him and began exploring his hard body with her hands. Then he broke the kiss.

 

"Buffy, is this really what you want?" Spike asked, looking up at her.

 

"What, you don't want it?"

 

"Oh Slayer you know I do, but I want you to be sure. You do this and there is no going back, you know."

 

"I'm sure…" Buffy said and lowered to another kiss. His hands roamed over her body, and before she knew it, the only thing existing in her world was him and how good he made her feel.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"Buffy, I have to get home. It's getting light outside."

 

She looked over at him, pouting. "Stay," she said.

 

"Love, the li'l bit is coming home at any second. Wouldn't want her to find me here, now would we?"

 

"I don't care," Buffy continued to pout.

 

He looked at her, and she sighed. "Fine. I'm gonna go down and get some breakfast made, you can get dressed." She stood up, put her pajamas on again and disappeared down the stairs.

 

Spike was lying, hands behind his head on the bed, thinking of the sex they had just had. It had been absolutely bloody marvelous, no doubt about it. He could not really believe it. The petite slayer had finally given in. Why? He had not got a clue. He just hoped that she would not come to her senses all of a sudden, and realize that it had all been a mistake. He hoped –

 

Suddenly, a wave of nausea swept over him.

 

Bloody hell!

 

He sat up, feet on the floor, one hand around his stomach and the other one by his head. It was like a new feeling to him; he had not been feeling sick in over a century.

 

Finally thinking the worst was over, he stood up.

 

Mistake.

 

Another wave, this one stronger than the last, came rolling over him. His head was spinning as he did the only think he could think of – he ran to the bathroom.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Buffy heard the odd noises from upstairs and called, "Spike? You okay?"

 

When no one answered, she ran up the stairs only to be met by the unmistakable sound of someone throwing up, then the toilet flushing.

 

The door to the bathroom was closed but not locked and she peered in to find Spike, sitting on the floor, looking up at her with scared eyes. His face was pale, almost gray, his hair tousled.

 

"What is happening to me?" he asked in a voice that was smaller than she would have possible for the former Big Bad. She kneeled in front of him, both concerned and afraid for him.

 

"I don't know, Spike, but we are going to find out. C'mon." She took his hands and began helping him up, when his body suddenly erupted in trembles. He was shaking so hard he could hardly walk. Buffy could see Spike struggle against himself from the expressions on his face. Fright stood out most of all when he opened his eyes, ones now yellow.

 

"I can't control it," he whispered, obviously fighting the demon within. "Get me out… aarg!"

 

He jumped at her in a fierce attack, the chip in his brain only contributing more anger and confusion to the already pain contorted face.

 

He ran down the stairs in a cat-like way, then pulled the door open so hard it cracked. Outside, the sun still had not risen above the house roofs, which was lucky for the raging vampire, who just ran out.

 

"Spike!" she screamed after him as he jumped onto his stolen motorbike and fly down the street with a roar. She ran after him, only to have him disappear around a corner.

 

Sobbing, she fell to the ground.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been three days since Spike had stormed out of Buffy's house – and seemingly out of her life – and she still had no idea of where he was. She had gotten a note saying, "Don't seek me out." and although the note had not been signed, she knew it was from him.

 

She felt like crying all day and all night long. Everything that had happened – it was the Angel slash Angelus deal, all over again.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"Here we go again…"

 

Buffy threw herself down by the toilet and threw up, letting everything she had just eaten out.

 

"Oh god…" she muttered, wiping the sweat drops off her forehead and washing her mouth with some water.

 

Head in her hands, she sat down on the toilet.

 

This was the fourth time in as many days that she was in the bathroom, throwing up like a sick child. She could not really understand it; the Slayer healing should handle any illness that might come over her. Besides, other than the throwing up she did not feel bad. Her body just felt different, for some reason. And her breasts were hurting a little.

 

Oh god.

 

Suddenly, she knew exactly what was wrong with her. Only, it could not be. No way. She had not… Not with anyone but Spike at least, and that was impossible, because he was a vampire, and Angel had told her that vampires could not father children – at least not the 'normal' way.

 

But inside, she knew.

 

She was pregnant.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"Will, I need you to do something for me."

 

Buffy had just run over to her best friend's dorm room, knocked on the door and by the time she was inside and sitting down, she felt like throwing up again.

 

"What is it, Buff?" Willow Rosenburg asked.

 

"I need you to do a spell," Buffy told her. "A locator spell. For Spike. I need to find him. You can do that, right, I mean that's what you do with your magic, isn't it? You've done it before," Buffy rambled nervously.

 

"Yeah, I can, b-but didn't he tell you not to look for him?" The redhead looked at the Slayer, wondering why it was so important to find the bleached vampire all of a sudden.

 

"Well I've never followed his orders. Besides, I really, really need to find him," she pleaded with her friend.

 

Willow looked indecisive for a moment but then she nodded. "I'll do it. You wait here, I'm just gonna go get some stuff."

 

 

* * *

 

 

Buffy had told Giles everything that had happened to Spike – everything but the part of where she had slept with him, that is. But even Giles had been dumbfounded as to why Spike had acted the way he had. The Scooby Gang had not been able to find anything, not even after hours of research, of neither the demons he had fought, nor on the way he had behaved.

 

"Okay, I've got everything."

 

Willow's words pulled Buffy out of her thoughts and alerted her on the fact that when the Wicca was ready to located Spike. Willow had begun chanting and straight in front of her, above the map of Sunnydale and the area around it, a blue light appeared. The small light swayed back and forth above the map as though it was having a hard time deciding. Finally, it stopped and Buffy gasped.

 

"Angel's mansion," she breathed. "But…"

 

"Why would he go there?" Willow inquired curiously. "What happened between the two of you?"

 

Buffy rose to her feet. "I'll tell you, I promise, but not right now. I really need to go."

 

"Um, okay. But… It will be all right, right?"

 

"I hope so. Bye, Will, and thanks!"

 

She ran out the door, almost crashing into Tara who was walking down the corridor.

 

"Hi Tara, bye Tara," Buffy yelled as she continued her sprint.

 

"What's with her?" Tara asked her girlfriend after entering the dorm and closing the door.

 

Willow shrugged. "Dunno."

 

 

* * *

 

 

"Spike!" she yelled, standing outside the mansion, trying to catch her breath after running all the way there.

 

She knocked carefully on the door, but got no answer. Finally, she opened the door, and walked inside.

 

"Spike?"

 

No answer.

 

She walked further into the mansion, through the halls and looking into the rooms, wondering where the vampire was. "Spike?"

 

"Uhh…" she heard from the dark corner furthest into the living room. There she saw him. Well, at least she saw his foot. She ran forward, landing herself on the ground next to him. He looked sick. His eyes had sunk in, and he had dark rings around them, the normally white skin looking gray. He looked as though he had lost weight. Which, of course, if she was right in her assumptions, was understandable.

 

"Schlayer?" he asked drunkenly.

 

"Spike? What the hell are you doing?"

 

"I don't know shu know," he replied, meeting her gaze with dazed eyed. "Can't drink it scheems… Dunno why… Doeshen't work…"

 

"Spike there is something seriously weird going on here." She picked up his hand and put two fingers on his wrist. She gasped as she felt what she had both feared and hoped would be there.

 

A pulse.

 

"Spike, let's go home to me." She took the drunken vampire's arm over her shoulder and supported his weight on her. He was weak, hardly able to stand, shaking as he tried to concentrate on balancing.

 

She got the drunken vampire up on his feet but he looked questioningly at her. "It's schunny outside, Schlayer… I'm allirgec…"

 

"You mean allergic. But if I'm right, then you shouldn't be."

 

"No, I don't want tchoo!"

 

"Spike."

 

"Fuck off!" He released himself from her grip and promptly fell down on the floor, landing hard.

 

Buffy was rapidly loosing her patience with the bleach blonde. "Spike, stand up, now," she demanded.

 

"Don't feel liche it, schlay'r," Spike replied, staying seated on the floor with one hand on his flask. "Thisch I can drink at leacht," he muttered to himself and brought the bottle to his mouth. Buffy was out of patience and kicked it out of his hands before he could drink.

 

"Hey!" Spike exclaimed, offended.

 

"Get your ass of the floor right now, dead boy, or I will hurt you," Buffy threatened in a low voice. When Spike still did not move, she tossed the dead weight of his body onto her shoulder and carried him to the door.

 

Tentatively, she opened the crypt-door and let some sun rays come inside. She held his hand out in it, and he flinched as he thought it would start smoking.

 

It did not.

 

She turned slowly to the vampire who was now a man. "Spike," she said. "I don't know how but… You're human."

 

 

* * *

 

 

She did not believe she got it through to him when she said it, because he started laughing and then he picked up another bottle from the pocket of his duster and began drinking until she took it away from him.

 

"I can't walk with you like this all the way from here and home," she told him. "So, you are going to sit nicely and quietly while I call Giles."

 

"Giles?"

 

She was on the phone, calling the one person who would know what to do. At least she hoped he would know.

 

"Do you have your car?" she asked.

 

"Of course," he replied, sounding confused. "Is there something wrong, Buffy?" her Watcher asked worriedly.

 

"No. Or yes. Well, not really. Uh, it's really confusing and you, um… I'm at the mansion. Could you, um, come and get me?"

 

"Oh, all right, well, I will be there as soon as I can."

 

"Yeah, hurry… Thanks."

 

They hung up and Buffy shot a worried glance over at the sleeping ex-vampire on the floor. She sighed and lifted him up and carried him to the couch in the living room, where she carefully set him down. Never mind the harsh voice she had used at him earlier – she was worried for him. He had suddenly gotten rid of his sun allergy, and he had told her that he could not feed, but what did that really mean? That he was human? Had he grown a soul, or was he just like before? He had acted normal, but, he had been drunk.

 

Was he really human? He had to be, after all, he was the father of the child she was carrying. So, think of him as the father of your children instead. Oh my god! He…

 

Unconsciously, she placed a hand on her belly, before sitting down on the floor, leaning uncomfortably on the table until Giles rang the doorbell of the mansion.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"Well, this is definitely…" Giles said, sinking down on the couch in the Summers' living room, next to the still sleeping Spike.

 

"I know. Odd. Weird. Really, really scary," Buffy said.

 

And I haven't even told you the little 'belly-part' she thought to herself. She was going to tell Spike first. He deserved to know. She only hoped that he would be happy about it, because it would not be a whole lot of fun to have to deal with a gone-away Spike too.

 

"I don't understand how this happened," Giles told her. "The only thing to do right now is to wait for him to, um, sober up, and then he will have to tell. Oh, and I'd have something for him to eat ready when he wakes up, because he is probably hungry."

 

Buffy nodded.

 

"I need to get back to the shop, Buffy. Will you be all right?"

 

"Um… I guess so. Wait till he's sober, give him food, I think I've got it."

 

He nodded and left a couple of minutes later. Buffy sat down to wait for her lover to wake.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"Buffy…?" Spike asked, his head clearing from the dreams he had had.

 

"Good morning. Or more like good afternoon."

 

"Slayer, what am I doing here?" he asked, sitting up slowly. It caused black dots to dance in front of his eyes and he leaned back on the soft couch.

 

"You okay? I got some food for you; you should eat."

 

"How… Why… How did you know I…"

 

"How did I know you can't drink blood anymore?" she asked, looking at him and holding out a sandwich. Tentatively, he took it and bit of a piece. Soon, he swallowed, and took another bite, faster and faster until Buffy took the sandwich away from him.

 

"Slow down," she said with a smile. "You'll get a tummy ache otherwise."

 

"I'm bleeding hungry!"

 

She smiled at his outburst, but then grew serious. "Spike, think of why," she said, giving the sandwich back to him. Taking another bite, he looked at her confused.

 

"You don't mean that…" His round eyes got even bigger.

 

"Yeah, I do. Spike, some way or another, you've become human."

 

This was probably the closest Spike ever got to fainting from shock. He fell back on the couch and was still for a couple of seconds, before he began to laugh.

 

She did not know what reaction she had been expecting, but this was not it. But there he was, laughing like crazy. She silently wondered if the alcohol really had worn off.

 

"Buffy, this is great news, isn't it?" he asked finally. "Right, love?"

 

"Spike, it's not all the news."

 

He sat up again, looking concerned at the tone over her voice.

 

"What more is there?"

 

"Well, there's a reason I came to see you today… There's a reason why I figured out you had to be human so fast…"

 

"Buffy, love, you're scaring me. Tell me what the hell is wrong!" It came out a little harsher than he had intended it to be, but he was getting worried from the face she was wearing, and from the way she was talking.

 

"I'm pregnant."

 

"What?"

 

"You heard. Spike, I'm pregnant."

 

"Have you… checked? Been to the doctor I mean?"

 

She shook her head. "No, I haven't. But I've been throwing up the last few days, and I feel all weird, and there is something inside of me that just told me…"

 

"Oh my god, Buffy."

 

He fell unusually quiet. She looked at him, tears forming in her eyes. "Spike, please say something," she whispered, the first tear making its way down her cheek. He did not like it. He was angry. She had disappointed him. He would leave her. Just like all the others, he would leave her. Just like Angel, just like Riley.

 

"Buffy, love, why are you crying? Don't cry… This is happy news."

 

She looked up at him, and had never seen his eyes so sincere.

 

"You mean that?" she whispered.

 

"Of course I do, pet. There are no news you could have given me which would have made me happier."

 

 

* * *

 

 

Giles had set up a research party as soon as he got back to the Magic Shop. He had called Tara and Willow, and they had come in once they were out of school, and Xander would be arriving when he was finished at work. Anya was the only one there not engrossed in the books – she stood behind the counter, helping a customer – when Buffy entered with Spike in tow.

 

Spike looked pale and sick still, the dark shadows beneath his eyes still apparent, but he was up and walking, a tired but happy smile on his face.

 

He kept his distance from Buffy. She had asked him to give her time to tell her friends, and he had reluctantly agreed.

 

"Hey guys," Buffy smiled and sat down by the table next to Willow.

 

"Hey Buffy," the other three greeted her. Spike stayed a couple of feet away, still not sure of how the Scoobies were reacting.

 

"Have you found anything?" Buffy asked and looked from Willow to Giles and Tara and then back to Willow.

 

"Not yet," Giles replied. "Of course, it wouldn't be that easy. If there was an easy, well-known cure for how to turn vampires human again, then I believe the vampire population of the world would be slightly smaller than it is at the moment."

 

Buffy nodded; she had figured as much as what Giles was telling her.

 

"Even Anya doesn't know anything," Willow said, "And she's been around for a while…"

 

"So, you're saying I turned human for no good reason?" Spike asked, casually strolling over to the table. "That I got what Peaches has been wanting for half is un-life? This is sodden ridicules," he muttered.

 

"Spike…" Buffy warned, annoyed with the bleached vampi- no, not vampire, she told herself. Man. Man. He was a man. Oh hell, she was just annoyed with him.

 

"We need to know more about what you've been doing these last few weeks. Any demons you've been fighting, special things you've done," Giles told him.

 

"Hasn't been much," Spike replied, nicely for once. "Some demons I killed the night before…"

 

Buffy shot him a warning look and he broke off. Spike sighed silently – he loved to annoy her, but telling her friends about their night together was not something he was about to do.

 

"Before what, Spike?"

 

"Oh, nothin'. I killed them, but they got a few hits."

 

Giles did not reply; he only looked thoughtful for a second, before going back to his books.

 

An hour later, Xander had joined them. He kept away from the former vampire, confused with the whole situation. He had made a few jokes, but Spike had been unusually tired and quiet, and although he had given Xander a few biting remarks, everyone had left him pretty much alone. Now he had gone into the training room without a word.

 

Buffy stood up a couple of minutes after he left, her hand brushing over her flat stomach. It was not something anyone would notice; Buffy hardly did so herself.

 

"I'm just gonna go check on him," she told her friends and left the room.

 

The door was closed to the training room. Buffy was expecting to hear punches and kicks being thrown, but it was eerily quiet. She opened the door and peeked inside. A smile crept onto her face.

 

Spike was lying on the couch, his duster on him as a blanket, and he was asleep.

 

Buffy made her way inside slowly. She still was not completely comfortable with the feelings she had discovered she had for him, but it was getting easier. She had not told him, because she did not feel ready just yet. She was still scared to death of everything. Heck, she was going to be a mom. If that was not scary, then she did not know what was. She had not expected it. She had never thought that she, a Slayer, would become pregnant. That it was with a former vampire somehow felt like a smaller detail in the whole deal, because everything was just so not-likely-to-happen.

 

She sat down next to him on the mats on the floor. Sitting like that, watching his peaceful face, she could not understand what it was she was scared of. She knew what she was scared of, but she could not understand it.

 

She was scared that he would leave her. Because everyone else she had loved had left her. Her father, Angel, Riley, even her mother. Okay, she admitted to herself, her mother had not gone by her own will, but she had still been ripped away from Buffy. Now she was scared that if she ever opened her heart up to Spike, he would leave. And she did not know if she would be able to deal with that.

 

He stirred and she was torn from her thoughts. Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked at her.

 

"Hello love," he said with a small smile.

 

"Hey. Did I wake you up? I just came in here to see how you were doing and I found you sleeping and I sat down," she babbled nervously, suddenly wondering what she was doing in there.

 

"It's okay, pet."

 

It was strange to see him like this, so very tired and well, out of it. She wondered if he was sick. She had a feeling that he was. It would not be all that surprising; his heart had not been beating for a century, and was suddenly awoken again.

 

"We should go home and get you to bed. Don't really feel like carrying your deadweight out of here."

 

When he sat up, black dots danced before his eyes, but he did not tell her and she did not notice because she was getting up herself. He stood up on unsteady legs, and coughed as his chest hurt. She looked at him, concerned.

 

"You're not okay," she said and put her hand on his forehead before he could react. He winced as her eyes grew big and she exclaimed, "You've got a fever! Like, a way high fever!"

 

"Keep it down, Slayer," he growled. "I'm fine."

 

She took his hand and dragged him out of the training room, all the while saying, "You are so not fine. We are going home right now and you are going to bed."

 

"You're not my bloody mother, Slayer. Just leave it alone."

 

"Sorry, won't." She stopped in the short corridor that led them to the shop, and looked up at him. Her statement softened. "You're sick and that's not good. I really don't think it's anything serious, but your body isn't used to any of this. Please, Spike, just do this for me, okay?"

 

He looked down at her and shrugged. He knew he would not be able to say no to a pleading Slayer. He never could. Sighing, he followed her.

 

Meanwhile, in the shop, Xander was getting bored. "We're not getting anywhere with this," he sighed. "There has never been anything in here on how to turn vampires human, or we would have used it on Dead Boy."

 

"He's got a point," Willow agreed, looking pleadingly at Giles. She liked research but this was something they all knew would never lead to anything.

 

"Besides, the one we're researching isn't even here. What's up with that?" Xander asked.

 

Giles looked at the youngsters. "Fine," he said finally. "You're free to go. We'll just conclude that this is a mystery."

 

"Um, a thought," Willow said. "Anyone in favor of telling Angel?"

 

"That his favorite childe has turned human? Hm, might be fun…" Xander grinned.

 

"Be nice," Anya said, coming up behind him.

 

"I-I think the best thing might b-be to leave him out," Tara said quietly. "I mean, I don't know him or anything, but…"

 

"She's right," Willow chimed in. "Angel shouldn't have to know unless necessary."

 

"Okay, then we're agreed. This stays here," Giles said.

 

"What stays here?" Buffy asked, walking into the room with Spike close behind. A little too close, Giles noted with dismay, but he did not say anything.

 

"Oh, nothing," Xander said quickly. "Just some, um, book stuff."

 

"Yeah. Right," Willow agreed.

 

Buffy looked between both of her best friends, and they looked guilty, but she decided that it could wait. If it were important, she would find out.

 

"I'm going home," she said instead. "Spike too."

 

"Wait, he's – he's staying at your place?" Xander objected.

 

"Yeah, he is Xander." She wanted to tell him to deal with it, but that would be rude and she did not feel like being Bitch-Buffy today. "Look, he's not all that well, and I can't let him stay in his crypt so…"

 

She shot the father of her baby a look and saw that he looked worse than he had just minutes earlier in the training room. She was beginning to get scared for him.

 

"Spike?" she asked silently and he looked up at her. He did not say anything. "Let's go," she continued and he followed her lead to the door.

 

"You want me to take you home?" Giles asked, surprising himself. He had just noted a relationship between the Slayer – his Slayer – and the former vampire that was too close for his comfort and he was still offering them a ride? But, as Buffy had pointed out, Spike certainly did not look well.

 

"If you want to, that would be great," Buffy said, smiling at her Watcher.

 

Giles got up and looked at the remaining Scoobies. "Will you clean up?" he asked, pointing at the stacks of books on the table. Willow and Tara nodded, as did Anya and Xander although they were more reluctant.

 

Giles followed Buffy and Spike out to his car.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"You'll be all right with him?" Giles asked when he stopped in front of the Summer's house. Buffy and Giles both shot worried looks in the back, where Spike had fallen asleep once more.

 

"Yeah. As long as I get him inside." She got out of the car and opened his door. "Spike, wake up." She nudged his arm and he stirred awake. A couple of minutes later, they were inside.

 

"Dawn?" Buffy yelled into the house. Her sister had been staying at a friend's house over the weekend, thankfully, but should be home by now.

 

"Yes?" Dawn's figure appeared at the top of the stairs. "Oh my gosh, what's up with Spike?"

 

He was leaning on Buffy, trying to keep steady.

 

"He's sick, will you help him to the couch?"

 

"Don't you think a bed would be nicer?" Dawn asked, racing down the stairs to Spike's side.

 

"Yes, but they're all upstairs, so unless you want to carry him…" Buffy said with a small smile.

 

"Point taken." Dawn took over the heavy weight of Spike and steered him towards the couch, while Buffy took her shoes and jacket off.

 

"Thanks Nibblet," Buffy heard Spike mutter as she put a blanket over him.

 

"How can he be sick?" Dawn asked, walking over to Buffy again. "I thought vampires couldn't get sick."

 

"It's a really long story that we don't have time for right now. Can you get the thermometer from the first aid kit, I think he's got a fever."

 

Spike was already asleep on the sofa; she knew that. It worried her. Over the course of a few hours, Spike had become seriously ill. When they had left to go to the Magic Shop, he had been fine. An hour later, he had been sitting on a chair, looking tiredly as Xander gave his usual comic relief and only replying with smaller remarks. Another hour later, he had been sleeping in the training room, not even noticing Buffy entering. Now he was on her couch, turning back and forth, breaking into a sweat, as the fever seemed to get a stronger hold on him.

 

What if he was dying?

 

The thought suddenly hit her, and tears formed in her eyes. What if his body could not handle having to start living again? He had been dead for a century. Maybe that was why there were no records of any vampires turning human – it could not happen because their bodies could not handle it.

 

"Buffy? Why are you crying?" Dawn's voice reached through to her and Buffy looked up at her concerned looking little sister.

 

"It's… nothing…"

 

"So, you're just sitting here at Spike's side, crying for no good reason?"

 

"Go away."

 

Dawn was about to give a nasty reply, but stopped herself. She knew that if Buffy was worried to the point of crying for Spike, she had to have feelings for him. That was good. She sat down at her sister's side.

 

"Do you know why he's sick?" she asked.

 

"He-he is human," Buffy said slowly.

 

Dawn looked shocked. "Oh my gosh, but, how? When? I mean, how could this happen? Could it happen? I mean, has it ever happened before?" she rambled.

 

"We don't know," Buffy replied.

 

"But, I mean, you have to…"

 

"We don't know!" Buffy yelled, new tears falling down her cheeks. "We have no idea! It just happened, and now he's sick as hell and I don't know how to make it better…"

 

Dawn hugged her older sister and Buffy clang to her like a lifeline. "He'll be okay," Dawn soothed. "He'll just sleep and then he'll be fine tomorrow." She wanted to believe it herself, but seeing Spike's ashen colored face, she could not help but think that he looked more dead now than he ever had as a vampire.


	3. Chapter 3

Buffy stirred, stretching her legs and noticing that she was not in her bed. She opened her eyes and saw Spike there, still sleeping. Memories of the night before came crashing down on her. Spike sick. Her watching him. Dawn comforting her. Then Dawn went to bed and Buffy made herself comfortable by Spike on the floor next to the couch, to be able to watch over him.

 

She had obviously fallen asleep.

 

She got up, careful not to wake him. She watched his chest rise and fall with every breath he took. It was something she thought she would never see with him. He looked peaceful, and his face seemed to have recovered some color again. The dark shadows beneath his closed eyes were less apparent. In short, he looked much better than the night before. She put her small hand on his forehead and was glad to find that even though the fever did not seem to be altogether gone, it was lower than the day before.

 

Buffy heard Dawn come down. When she had descended the stairs, her sister stopped and said, "Mornin'."

 

"Good morning."

 

"He better?" Dawn asked and walked over to the couch.

 

"I think so. The fever seems to have gone down."

 

At her words, Spike stirred awake and he opened his eyes. The two Summers women stood beside him, and he smiled.

 

"Should be sick more often," he grinned.

 

Buffy knew she should have some witty comeback, but she was too happy to care. She threw her arms around him.

 

"Thank god you're okay," she said, holding him tightly. He smiled softly, stroking her hair, and holding her just as tightly.

 

"Are you?" he asked.

 

"Why wouldn't I…" she began, but the now-familiar sickness began sweeping over her, and she suddenly knew what he meant. "I'll be right back."

 

She darted off, leaving Dawn and Spike alone.

 

"Hey Nibblet," Spike said, sitting up.

 

"Hey. You, um, better now?"

 

He nodded. "Much."

 

"I heard you were like, uh, human," Dawn said casually, trying to ignore the noise Buffy was now making upstairs. If she did not ignore it, she feared she would have to go throw up herself.

 

"Um, yeah. Dunno how, it just kinda happened." He looked over at her.

 

"So, you've got a soul now and is all brooding like Angel?" Dawn asked. He did not seem as broody as Angel had always been, but on the other hand, Dawn had not seen all that much of Spike since he had become human.

 

"I don't know. I mean, I hope not. I don't wanna be all broody like Peaches. What bloody fun would that be?"

 

Dawn smiled at him, glad to hear that he hopefully would not turn all boring as Angel. "Good. You know, I'm hungry, I'm gonna go get breakfast. You, um, want anything? I'm guessing you don't drink blood anymore…? At least I hope not, cause that was gross."

 

"You know how to make hot chocolate with marshmallows, li'l bit?"

 

She nodded and disappeared out to the kitchen. Minutes later, Buffy came down the stairs.

 

"Feeling better?" Spike asked her, and she nodded.

 

"Where's Dawn?" Crashing from the kitchen and an, "It's okay!" answered her question. She sat down beside Spike. "You look better."

 

"I feel better." He looked at her. She looked so beautiful, so glowing. He bent down and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

 

"Spike, not now, Dawn's here…" she mumbled, but deepened the kiss anyway. It felt so good. She moved her hand up and began playing with his hair, and he had his arms around her, pulling her closer. She groaned with pleasure as his hands began caressing her breasts.

 

"Oh god…" she mumbled. He kissed her neck and collarbone, gently pushing her down with him onto the couch, so that she was underneath him.

 

"Oh my god what are you doing?" Dawn stood in the hallway, looking at the two. "Wouldn't that be like R-rated or something?"

 

Spike and Buffy both sat up, Spike with a mischievous grin on his face and Buffy blushing bright red. She was pulling down her shirt.

 

"Dawn, um…" Buffy began, but then fell silent because she had no idea of how to continue.

 

"Okay you two, it's all right. I know about birds and bees, you know. But please, on our couch – eww!" Dawn put her hands on her hips.

 

"Oh you just wait until you…" Spike began, but Buffy slapped his chest to get him quiet.

 

"Dawn, go to the kitchen. We'll be there in a second."

 

Dawn shrugged and left. Spike sat, still with his arm around her and still with that trademark cocky grin on his face. "You can't just get me started like that, you know…" he mumbled, leaning in to kiss her again. His lips met her for a second before Buffy broke it off.

 

"Not. Now." she said. "My little sister is already traumatized."

 

"Oh come on, you don't think she's done it already?"

 

Buffy glared at him. "Okay, eww! I really don't want to think about that. Besides, no, I don't think so. She – she's more responsible than that."

 

He kissed her again. "I still don't think she's traumatized."

 

Buffy threw him off and stood up. "Get up so we can eat breakfast," she told him, and left for the kitchen.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The doctor's office was filled with people when Buffy entered with Spike in tow, and she dreaded that she would have to wait for a long time before getting to see her doctor. An hour later, that dread had become truth. Buffy was sitting, flipping restlessly through a magazine, with Spike beside her. He had a slightly scared look on his face.

 

"What is it?" Buffy asked finally, having been unsuccessful in understanding what it was Spike was scared of.

 

"Nothing," Spike replied too quickly.

 

"Come on. Tell me."

 

He looked at her. "This," he said and put a gentle hand on her stomach. "That is what scares me. I'm sitting here, watching all these women with their bloody huge stomachs, and I know that you'll look the same, and I know that it is because you're carrying something that is mine, and I never thought that I'd have that. And it scares the hell outta me."

 

"I'm scared too," Buffy said quietly. "I never thought I'd have this either. I'm a Slayer, I'm not supposed to have kids, you know. And certainly not with a hundred-year-old vampire who recently turned human."

 

She put her own hand over Spike's on her stomach and held it.

 

"But I'm still glad, you know. I'm scared, but I'm also glad and amazed."

 

"I'll second all of the above," Spike grinned. "I love you, Slayer."

 

She looked up at him, his sincere eyes meeting hers and she knew that she should tell him, but she could not. Not yet.

 

"I know Spike. Please don't leave me."

 

"I'll never leave." He was disappointed about the fact that she had not returned her words of love, but he knew that bit by bit, he was breaking down that wall she had around herself. Just like he had ever since he first met her.

 

"Buffy Summers?" a nurse called out, getting the odd couple's attention.

 

"Here we go," Buffy muttered, and got up, following Spike to the doctor's office.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"And that, that is the baby," the doctor said pointing to a gray part on the screen.

 

"To me, it looks mostly like a big blob to me."

 

"Spike, be nice. It's our child you're talking about."

 

"What? Don't tell me you can make any sense out of that." He pointed at the screen.

 

The doctor followed the exchange, looking from one to another.

 

"If you let the doctor talk, maybe I could," Buffy bit back. Surprisingly, Spike fell silent and looked at the doctor, motioning to him to continue.

 

"Well, er, your child looks perfectly normal. It has come as long as should be expected. You are seven weeks pregnant, and I would like to see you again in a month or so."

 

"Okay," Buffy replied. "I'll see you in a month."

 

She pulled down her shirt and jumped off the table. She had to fill some papers out, but half an hour later, they were out of there.

 

"When are you gonna tell your mates?" Spike asked, opening the car door for her.

 

Buffy sat down and shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not sure how they'll take it. I'm thinking they're gonna flip."

 

"And your sis?" He started the car and drove out on the street, heading for the Summers' home.

 

"Well, if she's not completely stupid, she's probably suspecting something. You know, I have been throwing up like every single morning for six weeks."

 

"So why don't you tell her?"

 

"I will, okay!? I will!"

 

 

* * *

 

 

Another two weeks went by and Buffy began feeling better. She was not throwing up every single morning, and her breasts weren't hurting as bad as they had been. On the other hand, there was the belly thing. The thing that was called "it was growing". Nobody would notice it for another set of weeks, but she did. It was already harder than it had been before. The doctor had told her that since she was so small, her belly would probably grow big in proportion. She knew it would be showing fairly soon, and she knew she had to tell her friends before they found out by themselves.

 

It was just hard. Sometimes, she felt like denying the whole thing, telling herself that she was not going to be a mother at all. It was scaring her. Spike was there for her, every time she needed him, at the same time as he gave her space when she needed that. If what she had had for him before had been need, then she was definitely falling in love with him now. He was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

 

She stood in front of the mirror, pulling her shirt over her head, when there was a knock on the door, and Dawn entered. Buffy still had not told her little sister about her pregnancy.

 

"Hey," Dawn said as she sat down on the bed.

 

"Hey. What's up?"

 

"What are you doing?" Dawn asked instead of answering Buffy's question. Buffy was still standing in front of the mirror, checking herself out. She was pulling at the shirt and fingering at her stomach.

 

"Nothing," Buffy said, quickly turning around and dropping her hands to her sides.

 

"When are you going to tell me?" Dawn asked, looking up at her older sister.

 

"Tell you? About what?" Buffy asked. She hoped that Dawn was not talking about what she thought Dawn was talking about.

 

"Oh come on. Do you think I was born yesterday? You are pregnant. What's the big deal?"

 

Buffy looked at her little sister, slightly shocked. Her sister did not think that a baby was a big deal. That was just great.

 

As if Dawn could read her thoughts, Dawn sighed. "I don't mean it that way. Of course it's a big deal that you're having a baby, but what's the big deal about telling me? It's not like I'm gonna freak."

 

Buffy sat down beside her sister and began stroking her hair. It was a calming motion that she had done since Dawn was a baby. "I know you're not, Dawnie. It was just… I don't know. It's hard. I haven't told the others, not even Giles or Willow."

 

"Afraid they're gonna freak?"

 

Buffy nodded. They were much more likely to dislike it than her sister was.

 

"Because Spike's the father?"

 

"How much of this have you figured out, Dawn?"

 

"Only that much. I mean, look at you two… Wasn't likely to be Riley either, cause if that was the case, they you would have had this kid like a year ago. And you're not the one-night-stand kinda girl, you know."

 

"You know, those monks made you way too smart." Dawn grinned at her, and she smiled back.

 

"Can I feel?" Dawn asked.

 

"You can't really feel anything yet, I'm only like nine weeks pregnant. But if you want to…" She pulled her shirt up to reveal her tan belly and Dawn reached out to touch it. She smiled when she did.

 

"It is such a cool thought," she said, "That there is something living in there. Something so small, but still alive, something that is gonna turn out to be a little baby."

 

Buffy smiled at her sister's amazement. She felt quite a lot the same way. It was amazing to think that in there, in her own belly, laid a treasure as big as this one.

 

"I know," she said. "It's just awesome."

 

 

* * *

 

 

"Just do it."

 

"What are you, a friggin' Nike commercial?" Buffy shot at Dawn who was standing next to her. Spike stood behind her, arms around her waist so that his hands were resting on her belly. The belly that had swelled just a little bit underneath Buffy's big sweatshirt. A belly that was now showing her pregnancy.

 

"What are they gonna do, tell you that they don't want to be your friends just cause you're pregnant? I really don't think so," Dawn said, trying to make Buffy enter the Magic Shop.

 

"Right. I'm just gonna go in. Just in." She looked at Dawn. "No, I can't."

 

"Buffy, love, it's okay. You'll be fine. Just bloody get on with it."

 

"Buffy, I'm getting cold. We're going in." With that, Dawn opened the door and dragged the Slayer inside.

 

Anya was standing behind the counter as always, Willow and Tara were sitting by the books. Giles and Xander were nowhere to be seen.

 

"Hey guys," Dawn greeted the girls in the shop cheerily.

 

"Hey Dawn, hey Buffy, hey Spike."

 

The three new comers sat down by the table, Spike next to Buffy and Dawn by the two Wiccas. She was immediately engrossed in the spell-books that the witches were looking at. Buffy was too nervous to care about the fact that her sister should not be learning spells.

 

"Where is Xander?" she asked Anya.

 

"Oh, he's at work. He'll be here any second, said he'd swing by to pick me up. We're going home to have sex."

 

The doorbell rang just as Anya finished the sentence off and Xander came in. "An, hon, haven't we discussed the whole 'what's appropriate and what's not' thing several times?" he asked and bent over the counter to kiss his fiancée.

 

"Now we're only missing Giles," Buffy said to no one in particular.

 

"I'm here." Giles came out from one of the storage rooms.

 

"Oh goodie. Now I have to do this," Buffy muttered. Spike stood up and walked behind her. Buffy inhaled deeply.

 

"SpikeandIaretogetherandI'mpregnant."

 

"Huh?" Everyone in the room – with the exception of Dawn of course – looked like big question marks.

 

"Spike and I are together and I'm pregnant!" Buffy said again, only slightly slower. But, slow enough for the group to hear what she was saying.

 

"Congratulations!" Anya smiled to the two.

 

Buffy was shaking and Spike laid his arms around her to calm her. She leaned back on him, holding his hand in a tight grip.

 

"How… When…" was heard from the otherwise quiet room.

 

"I'm thirteen weeks pregnant. We've been to the doctor and everything is fine, as far as the doctor can tell."

 

"But… Thirteen weeks? Wasn't that about the time when Spike just turned human?" Willow asked.

 

"That's how I realized what had happened to him," Buffy said quietly. "I began throwing up in the morning and realized I must be pregnant."

 

"Okay, this is just wrong!" Xander exclaimed.

 

"What?" Buffy asked, her eyes filling with tears. She had known Xander would probably be the hardest one to convince here.

 

"Look, I know that he –" he pointed at Spike "– is human and everything now, but he's still… He was a vampire for a hundred years, he killed hundreds if not thousands of people! This, this is just wrong! You can't be pregnant, not with him."

 

"Xander, I am pregnant with him," Buffy continued quietly, her eyes on the floor. "I didn't choose this, but this is what happened and to be honest…" She met Xander's eyes, "I'm happy."

 

"But, it can't be. He's a demon. Well maybe not anymore, but he's still…"

 

"Still what, Xander?" It was Anya who broke into the exchange. "Is he still evil? Wouldn't that mean that I would still be evil? I mean, I was a demon ten times longer as he was, and he has been turned back to what he was before, just like I have. We're exactly the same."

 

"You're not the same at all!" Xander protested weakly, although he knew that Anya had already won the argument.

 

"Well if you don't think so, then you're just stupid!" Anya said. She took her engagement ring off her finger. "And I don't want to be with someone who is stupid and don't respect what I am. Because if you don't respect Spike and what he is now, then you don't respect me."

 

She put the ring on the counter and walked over to the door. On the way she stopped. She took Buffy's hand in hers and said, "I'm really happy for you," before leaving the shop.

 

Buffy stood there in shock, as did Xander. He walked over to the counter slowly and picked up the ring. Sadly, he put it in his pocket.

 

"I'm sorry," he said walking over to Buffy. "I am happy for you. You do deserve it, and if Spike here makes you happy, then I'm… okay with it."

 

"Thanks Xander," Buffy said, hugging him.

 

When Xander had left the shop in search of Anya, the remaining people sat and stood quiet.

 

"Congratulations," Tara said finally, looking at Buffy and Spike.

 

"Thanks," Buffy said to the Wicca. She walked back over to the table, no longer feeling the need to stand.

 

"So… Do you know what you're having? I mean, not like if it's a demon or human, I mean, a boy or a girl?" Willow rambled nervously.

 

"No, we don't, I think I want it as a surprise," Buffy said. Silence fell again.

 

"So, um, are you gonna start working or s-something?" Tara asked and looked at Spike. He looked startled at the question; he was not expecting them to ask him anything. Besides, this did not even have to do with the baby.

 

The baby. His baby. God, that was a bloody great thought.

 

"I don't know. I've looked into it a little, but since I don't really have a social security number or a birth certificate, it is a little hard."

 

"I, um, believe that would be fixable," Giles said, opening his mouth for the first time since Buffy had announced her pregnancy.

 

"How?" Buffy inquired.

 

"The Council. I'm quite sure they would be able to help you. They have connections. I'll talk to them."

 

"That would be great, Giles!" Buffy exclaimed happily.

 

"Now, about this baby," Giles said. "Are you sure it is all fine?"

 

Buffy nodded. "Yeah. The doctor said so, and that's the closest to a guarantee I can come."

 

"Well then," Giles said as he began polishing his glasses. "I guess all I can do is congratulate the two of you."

 

Buffy threw herself around her watcher, hugging him happily to the point where Giles had to gasp, "Buffy, I need to breathe."

 

"Oh sorry. But I'm just so happy. I was so afraid you would be angry with me…"

 

"She was scared to the point where she was refusing to go inside," Dawn told the group with a giggle. "We stood outside for like ten minutes trying to convince her to go inside."

 

"Hormones, you know," Spike added in a secretive whisper to the others. Buffy slapped his chest softly.

 

"Be nice, honey," she said, glaring at him. Her eyes betrayed her though; they glowered lovingly at him.


	4. Chapter 4

The next month went by quickly. Giles kept his promise to speak to the Council, and for one reason or another, they agreed to help Spike. He got a new alias, William Walthrop, a new birth certificate, new education, in short, a new life. He started looking at jobs offered in the newspaper and surprised Buffy several times by going to interviews. So far, he had not gotten any job, but he had not lost hope.

 

Buffy began attending school when the fall classes started. She knew that she would never get a job any place else than the Double Meat Palace if did not have more than a high school education and a year in college. She was aware that she would have to take time off once the baby was born, but that was something she was counting on. Willow and Tara were in a couple of her classes, and other than that, she was making new acquaintances. She was enjoying life.

 

Dawn was turning sixteen in just a month, and had started her sophomore year at the same time as Buffy began college. Buffy was having a hard time keeping up with her baby sister. There was a stream of teens always coming there, eating dinner and sleeping over.

 

"Buffy, can I Lisa come over tonight?" was a standard question, one to which Dawn knew the answer. "Buffy, Denver is having a party, can I go?" was another question, but one which Buffy was not as sure of what to tell her sister. She usually debated with herself for a couple of minutes, while Dawn stood and looked pleadingly at her, and finally, she would shrug and let her go. Then Dawn would jump in excitement and say a huge amount of thank you-s, before leaving and coming back at twelve at night. Always in a taxi. Buffy had forbidden her sister to walk home alone at night by herself.

 

Parenting was a hard thing. And Dawn was not even her daughter – she was just her sister. Soon, in only seven months, Buffy would have a baby that was her own to take care of.

 

Of course, Spike would be there. At night, when Dawn was out or in her room, Buffy would cuddle up in Spike's arms, and he would hold her. Or he would lay in her lap, listening to hers and the baby's heartbeat.

 

They had discovered after weeks of Spike being human that he still had most of his vampiric abilities in him. For several weeks right after he had turned human, he had had nothing; he had been even weaker than a normal human, and the lowest he had gotten was when he had gotten so sick. But once he had pulled through that, they discovered he had only gotten stronger, until now when he was back to his full vampire strength.

 

She still had not told him. She had not said to him that she loved him yet, although by now, she was sure of it. She was head over heels in love with this man. His sweet way of taking care of her, his gentleness, the way he would talk to Dawn, the way he would fight for her, the way he loved her. He surrounded her and she did not mind it one bit. She knew he was hurting because she refused to say the L-word, but she had promised herself that soon, soon she would tell him.

 

"What are you thinking love?"

 

They were sitting together on the couch, Buffy leaning on him, his arm around her, her head on his chest.

 

"I was thinking of how good this feels," Buffy replied. He placed his finger under her chin and turned her head towards him so that he could place a soft kiss on her lips.

 

"It does feel good, doesn't it," he said. "But you are getting heavy, you know."

 

"Hey, you should be nice. That wasn't nice." After a moment, she added, "Besides, it's your fault that soon, none of my clothes will fit me anymore."

 

"Oh, it is my fault now is it?" he asked playfully. "I thought it took two to tango…" He lost himself in her lips again. She moved her arms around him, placing herself on his lap. She began fiddling with his shirt, and soon it was off. He was kissing her neck and cupping her breasts in his hands, before getting rid of her shirt as well. Soon, her skirt followed and Buffy was lost in him.

 

 

* * *

 

 

They had made their way up the stairs so that they were now sleeping in their room. Buffy and Spike had moved into Joyce's old room, the master bedroom, soon after their announcement to the Scoobies that Buffy was pregnant and that the two were together.

 

Buffy was lying, watching her lover sleep. Dawn had come home a half an hour earlier, making her way quietly through the house. Now everything was quiet and Buffy assumed her sister was asleep. It was not late though, and Buffy was not tired. She had been lying there, watching Spike sleep for over an hour, she guessed. She loved to watch him sleep. His features became so peaceful, so soft.

 

But tonight, it was not enough.

 

Quietly, Buffy got out of bed. She collected some clothes – the few ones she now had to choose between since she got pregnant – and left the room. Patrolling was always good when she could not sleep, and the sweep she and Spike had done on the way back from dropping Dawn of at a friend's house had not been long. So, she made her way to one of Sunnydale's many cemeteries.

 

"Oho, nasties, where are you? Vampires? No vampires?" Her voice rang out in the quiet cemetery. Her senses were on as she walked through the dark.

 

Suddenly, a vampire charged her. He jumped at her from behind, but having sensed him, she got out of the way and he missed horribly, landing on the ground and hitting his head on a nearby tomb. The dizzy vampire got up, and charged again at the Slayer. He threw kicks and punches at her, all of which she blocked with ease.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Spike woke up with a startle. He was slightly confused when he could not feel Buffy's presence around him – a presence that he had gotten used to the past weeks, and immediately woke up when he realized she was not in the bed.

 

The pants and the shirt that had been hanging on one of the chairs were gone and he knew she was not in the house. If his senses told him the right thing, she had gotten the bright idea of going out on patrol by herself.

 

"Bloody Slayer," he growled to himself. He got himself dressed. Normally, he did not mind her going out on patrol. He was not going to be like Captain Cardboard and be all over protective, but something about tonight was off.

 

He checked on the Nibblet, and she was snoring in her room. He would not have to worry about her.

 

He ran outside and wondered which way she had gone. Finally, after realizing he had no clue, he closed his eyes and let his senses for her take over.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Buffy was breathing hard. After dusting the first vampire, there had come another, and another, and now there were six of them surrounding her. They had gotten in a few good kicks at her, and pain was searing through her body. She was beginning to realize that maybe, just maybe, going out on patrol alone had not been a very good idea.

 

"You'll be a feast, Slayer," one vampire snarled. "And that little baby inside of you…" He pointed at her swelling belly, which was hiding under a sweatshirt but still was showing, "We'll eat that too…"

 

They advanced, all at once, and began throwing kicks and blows at her. She blocked, ducked and dusted two vampires quickly, but the other four were getting to her. One punched the side of her face, and she could feel the blood taste in her mouth.

 

A vampire charged and kicked her in her stomach, figuring it was the most sensitive place to hit the Slayer at the moment. A searing pain went through Buffy's body, and she screamed as she fell to the ground. More kicks followed and tears fell down Buffy's cheeks, all the while she was screaming. A blow was directed to her head and then she knew no more.

 

 

* * *

 

 

He heard her scream and ran faster than he ever thought possible. She was on the ground, and vampires were surrounding her. He had two stakes with him, and one of them had penetrated a vamp before he knew what hit him. Then Spike threw the remaining three off of Buffy, who was lying motionless on the ground.

 

He charged furiously, kicking and punching and staking the vampires in just minutes.

 

"Never, ever touch her again," he screamed and kicked the last vampire with every word, before staking him.

 

Tears glistering in his eyes, he bent down to her.

 

"Buffy? Love, can you hear me?" he asked touching her bleeding face. As carefully as he could, he got an arm around her back and one underneath her legs, and he lifted her up. She moaned and opened her eyes.

 

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, crying and clutching her stomach. "I'm so sorry."

 

"No, it's okay, love, it's all right, everything is okay, you hear me?" He began walking as fast as he could without hurting her more.

 

"I'm sorry, Spike, I'm sorry…" She was slipping back into unconsciousness. "I love you…" she whispered finally, before quieting down.

 

He heard her words and almost stopped right then and there, but came to his senses and continued.

 

"You are not giving up on me Buffy, after all we've been through, you are not giving up on me…"

 

He reached the destination, and as he entered the hospital, he yelled to the personnel for help. Buffy was put on a stretcher and doctors surrounded her. A nurse gave Spike a bunch of papers to fill out, about insurance and information on Buffy. Spike filled in everything he knew before walking over to a telephone booth, where he put a few coins in and dialed Giles' number.

 

"Rupert Giles speaking," he heard the tired voice on the other end.

 

"Watcher, it's Spike," Spike hurried, not knowing how long the coins would give him.

 

"Spike, it's two in the morning!" Giles sighed.

 

"I know that, Watcher. But I'm at the hospital. Buffy's here, and she's hurt and they are checking her right now, and I don't have a bleeding clue of what is going on!" Spike could hear himself start rambling – something he under normal circumstances would never do, but these were not normal circumstances.

 

"I'm on my way," Giles said.

 

"Will you pick up Nibblet on your way over here? I don't want her to wake up to find us gone."

 

It surprised Giles how thoughtful Spike could be sometimes, and this was one of them. "I'll get her and come to the hospital as soon as possible," Giles said to Spike. The two hung up and Spike began pacing up and down the hospital waiting room.

 

It was half an hour later when Dawn came running into the waiting room with Giles close in tow. The younger of the Summers sisters threw herself around Spike and he hugged her.

 

"How is she?" Dawn asked. "Giles didn't know anything."

 

"I-I don't know," Spike said, walking over to the couches in the waiting area. At two thirty in the morning, there weren't that many people and the three could talk without disturbance. "They are not telling me anything. That sodden nurse over there refuses to say a thing."

 

Giles stood sat down in a chair facing Spike's, while Dawn had seated herself next to Spike, leaning on him. They sat in silence, Giles and Spike both deep in thoughts involving the Slayer, and Dawn who soon fell asleep in Spikes lap. Distractedly, Spike stroke Dawn's hair the way Buffy always did. It was something that neither Dawn or Spike really noticed, but Giles did. He had noticed everything the former vampire had done; every new habit he had acquired and the whole new lifestyle he had adapted.

 

It was not until the clock on the white wall hit six that a doctor came up to them, a tired look on his face.

 

"Mr. Walthrop?" she asked and Spike nodded.

 

"This is Buffy's sister, Dawn, and her friend Giles," Spike introduced the other two present after the doctor sent them a questioning look. "How is she?"

 

"She has a concussion, and the side of her face was beaten pretty badly, but she'll live."

 

"And the baby?"

 

Dawn had never seen Spike more serious or scared ever in her whole life. His teeth were pressed together, making his face's features hard, but his blue eyes seemed to plead with everything there was that his child was still alive. Dawn was not sure he was breathing.

 

"Through some miracle, the baby is still alive. But," she added at Spike's relieved look. "We don't know if it has been hurt. There is still a chance of loosing it."

 

Dawn squeezed Spikes hand, not knowing any other way to try to comfort him at the moment.

 

"Can I see her?" he asked, his teeth clenched. Dawn knew he was holding back tears.

 

The doctor nodded an agreement. "She has been asking for you, the few times she has been conscious. But please, if she wakes up, don't tire her out."

 

"I won't."

 

The doctor called on a nurse and she came up to them. "Will you take Mr. Walthrop to Ms. Summers' room, please?" she asked and the nurse nodded. "Follow me."

 

 

* * *

 

 

It was white bed, the walls were white, the sheets covering her was white and the bandage on the side of her head was white. Buffy's face was deadly pale and her eyes were closed as Spike slowly walked into the room.

 

"Buffy?" he whispered to her still form, and her eyelids fluttered. He sat down by her side, and held her hand in his. "Love?"

 

Her mouth parted and a raspy, "Spike?" came out. She opened her right eye, the left one being swollen shut.

 

"Shh, don't talk, you just rest," he shushed her, stroking her hair and the side of her face that was not swollen and bandaged.

 

She lifted her hand weakly, and placed it on her stomach. "Is it…?" she mumbled.

 

"Our baby's still alive, Buffy, don't worry," he whispered. "Everything will be okay."

 

Exhausted, Buffy shut her eyes, and with her hand gripping Spike's she fell back asleep. Spike just sat there, watching her.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"You guys really didn't have to come here," Buffy said the next day, when all of the Scoobies were gathered around the Slayer's bed. "The nurses will throw a fit when they see how many people there are in here." She giggled a little, but then laid back down, too tired really to be talking and active.

 

"How could we not come?" Willow asked. "I mean, check this place out. All white and, uh, cool to be in."

 

"Yeah, the lovely interior and we thought we'd come over and make you feel all better," Xander said. He was hand in hand with Anya, with whom he had gotten back after several weeks of persuading in form of flowers, chocolate and cards. He had told her he had accepted Spike, just as he had accepted Anya since they began getting to know each other.

 

"It's really sweet of you guys. Thank you."

 

Spike sat on the side of the bed, content and quiet with one arm around Buffy. Giles sat in the corner of the room in a chair, watching the two on the bed and everyone around, just as content. Dawn, Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya were either sitting on various sorts of furniture or just plain standing. On the table by the bed were a big teddy bear and a card, signed by all of the Scooby Gang.

 

A nurse entered the room just moments later and just as Buffy had thought, she threw a fit.

 

"There is not supposed to be ten people in this room!" she screeched. "One! Or two, if they are family, at the time!" And with that, she promptly threw everyone but Spike and Dawn out.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Later in the afternoon, Spike was the only one left in the room. The others had left after a while since the mean nurse was not about to let them in. Giles had taken Dawn home after Spike had promised he had be home before dark.

 

"How are you feeling?" he asked Buffy, as she made herself comfortable on his by-now asleep arm.

 

"Better. Still only about fifty percent, but that's better than yesterday's minus ten… And you know who I look like?"

 

"No, love, I don't."

 

"I look like you after your run-in with Glory. Your face was all swelled up and purple and red like this too."

 

"But then you left me on a cold slab of cement. No one took me to the hospital."

 

"No, it's kinda hard to have a vampire in the hospital since the nurses have this tendency to check your pulse and vampires kinda don't have one."

 

"You're so funny, Slayer."

 

"Actually, we were horrible to you back then. I should have taken you home, or at least given you some first aid. Instead, I just kissed you…"

 

"And I didn't really object as I remember."

 

"Nah, you didn't. On the other hand, you thought I was the robot." He looked ashamed at the mention of the BuffyBot. He hated the thing with passion, and when they had had to revive it to fight Glory, he had felt like throwing up. Red had not been able to un-program the loving-Spike-deal, and the robot had come onto him several times. And, being a programmed robot, it had not understood what it meant to be rejected.

 

"I'm sorry about the robot, Buffy."

 

"I know you are. Don't worry about it, it's in the past now. Just like I hope my stupidity is."

 

"You know it is," he said and then decided to change the subject slightly. "Buffy, yesterday, when I was carrying you here… You told me…"

 

"I told you I love you," Buffy said, first looking down at her hands, then meeting his gaze. She saw the worried look, and behind that the saddened look and she knew he was expecting her to tell him that she had not meant it. She looked down at her hands.

 

"I meant it."

 

She heard him grasp in surprise. "Spike," she continued, this time looking at him the whole time. "I do love you. I've been meaning to tell you for weeks, but I haven't dared. I'm so scared, you know that. I'm scared of this –" she motioned at her stomach "– and I'm scared of us."

 

He smiled and cupped her non-swollen chin in his hand. "I'm scared too. But believe one thing, pet. I won't ever leave you."

 

She cuddled closer to him and let him kiss her forehead.

 

"Thank you," she mumbled.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Buffy was released from the hospital two days later. Her wounds had healed quickly due to the Slayer healing, and once the doctor had run a couple of tests on the baby in her belly, and had concluded that it seemed perfectly all right, she was given an okay on going home. Spike and Dawn picked her up on the afternoon three and a half days after she was brought in. The two had just come from Dawn's high school, where Spike had picked her up for once.

 

"So, there is this guy, Richie, and he's really, really cute, and Lisa says he's into me. Isn't that so cool? Sabrina says he's gonna ask me out."

 

"Well, I don't know Nibblet, boys that age can be bad. They're just thinking about one thing," Spike replied as he carried Buffy's little bag of necessities in one hand and held Buffy's hand in the other, on the way out to the car.

 

"Whereas you two never think about sex, or what?" Dawn said, raising her eyebrow. "I can really see that," she muttered, shooting a look at Buffy's growing belly.

 

"I'm just saying, don't get in over your head, all right?" Spike asked.

 

"Yeah, yeah, we would only be going to the Bronze anyway, what's the big deal? It's not like he's taking me to some lone hilltop or anything."

 

"No," Buffy said, "Cause I wouldn't allow you to go in that case."

 

"I know."

 

Dawn got into the backseat, Spike in the driver's seat and Buffy next to him.

 

"Shouldn't you go buy like baby stuff soon? Clothes and carriages and things, you know?" Dawn asked as Spike drove the car out of the parking lot.

 

"In a while," Buffy replied, yawning.

 

"Tired, pet?"

 

Buffy nodded. "Don't know why. Haven't really done anything but slept for the last few days, now have I?"

 

"It's understandable. Your body went through some trauma; you should be tired. The doctor was surprised at how fast you recovered though."

 

"You see, Slayer healing is a handy thing to have."


	5. Chapter 5

Another month passed by, and suddenly Buffy found herself unable to wear any of her old clothes. This depressed her severely, although it got better when Dawn took her out to shop. Meanwhile, things in school made time fly by, and Spike managed to get a job. At the hospital, nonetheless. It came as a total surprise when he told her that he, when he was alive, had worked as a doctor. Not fully taught, but still respected. And even through the years as a vampire, Spike had kept himself a jour with what happened in the medical branch, and the workers at Sunnydale Hospital were impressed with him. And with the job came much needed money to the Summers' household.

 

Giles had discussed Buffy's role as both a Slayer and a to-be mother with her. He had told her that he thought she should be careful and not go out without company until the baby was born – and preferably not after that either, since it would not do the baby any good if his or her mother was killed. Buffy had agreed reluctantly, and Giles had told Spike and the other Scoobies about their deal just to be on the safe side, so that Buffy would not get a stupid idea some night and go out anyway.

 

They celebrated Dawn's sixteenth birthday, although Dawn insisted on having two candles on the cake instead. "I'm really only a little more than a year and a half old, remember," she had told the Scoobies at their little gathering. At the party she threw for her other friends – those in her age – she had sixteen candles though, figuring it would be a little hard explaining the Key story for people who did not even believe there were creatures that went bump in the night.

 

Dawn also found herself with her first boyfriend. Richie, the guy she had been talking about on the way home from the hospital, had indeed asked her out and Dawn had found she liked him. So now they were dating. Buffy prayed that they weren't doing anything but the occasional kissing, but on the other hand, she herself had been Dawn's age when she made love with Angel for the first time.

 

It seemed so long ago.

 

In reality, it was not more than a couple of years, but it seemed as far away as a lifetime. Back then, Buffy had believed in true love, that Angel and her were soul mates, and that they would live happily ever after. That dream had been shattered over and over again. Now, she had found happiness with Spike, and she hoped that he would keep his promise and stay with her. She knew that she would never leave him.

 

 

* * *

 

 

One night, when Buffy came home from college after a long day of studying, she found the house looking dark from the outside. When she opened the door and walked inside, she saw hundreds of candles, lit everywhere, creating a mystical light and atmosphere.

 

"Spike?" she called, but none answered.

 

On the table in the living room, she saw a bouquet of red roses, and a note saying, 'dining room'. She smiled to herself and began walking through the rooms slowly, letting her hair out and taking in the beautiful surroundings that the lights created at the same time. The whole way was lit with candles and they continued in a path towards the dining room.

 

Someone started playing music, soft classical music, and Buffy smiled. That smiled changed to an ear to ear grin when she saw Spike standing in the dining room, clad in a smoking.

 

"Welcome home, love," he said, holding out a glass to her. At her skeptical look, he said, "Only cider. Nothing that is bad for you or the little one."

 

She smiled and they drank. Then he pulled out her chair and they sat down.

 

"This looks delicious," Buffy said when he presented chicken and rice and vegetables for the main course. "And it is delicious!" she continued after taking a bite.

 

"Why thank you, pet," he said, grinning. "Don't sound so surprised."

 

"So, why?" she asked, pouring some Sprite from a can into her glass.

 

"Why what?" He looked innocently at her.

 

"Why dinner? Candles? Roses? What have you done?"

 

"I haven't done anything. Can't a guy just get to surprise his princess every now and then without having a bloody motive behind it?"

 

"Well, you could, but… Let's just say, I know you." She grinned.

 

"Okay pet, well then I'll just say you know me fairly well. Because I do have a motive." He smiled and began fishing for something in his pocket.

 

"Aha!" Buffy exclaimed, but it died out as Spike sat down on one knee in front of her.

 

"Buffy, I have thought long about this, but… I love you. And I have tried at times to imagine how it would be to not have you in my life. And Slayer, every world I imagine, is hell. You've got me trapped… So, I'm asking you, Buffy Anne Summers: Will you be my wife?"

 

He held out a little box with a beautiful golden ring in it.

 

She looked stunned at first when he said the words, but then a smile crept up on her face and she took the little box out of his hand. She looked at it, then deeply into his blue eyes and answered,

 

"Yes, Spike, I would love to be your wife."

 

Now it was Spike's turn to be stunned. But before long, he found himself and his ability to move, and he swept her up in his arms, kissing her passionately.

 

"I love you, Spike," she mumbled as he sat her down on the floor again.

 

"And I love you, Mrs. Walthrop."

 

 

* * *

 

 

She was walking, no, floating, around on cloud number nine during the following days. Dawn found out that same night, when she found Buffy and Spike making out on the sofa. And for once, her baby sister did not get mad; she just squealed in delight and threw herself around the Slayer and the former vampire. The next morning, Buffy called Willow to tell her best friend about what had happened. The witch had also been screaming, and it was good that Spike had gone to work, or else he might have had second thoughts about marrying Buffy, when he saw how she was acting.

 

Or not.

 

Buffy had showed him just how much she loved him and the idea of getting married several times during the night, and Spike too walked around on clouds. There was no happier place to be than the Summers' home.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Five and a half months pregnant and I'm sitting here, flipping through bridal magazines with an ex-demon in a magic shop.

 

Life could not be better.

 

Buffy kept a light hand on her bulging stomach as she and Anya flipped through page after page of bridal dresses.

 

"I like that one," Anya said and pointed to yet another dress. Buffy made a face.

 

"I will not have a dress with a butt-bow," she said and turned the page. It showed another set of gorgeous dresses, but Buffy looked slightly unhappily at them.

 

"What's wrong, Buff?" Xander asked, entering the shop. "Oh, you're looking at that." The smile on his face faltered a little, having spent months already with his fiancée drooling over bridal magazines.

 

"Oh shush, this is fun," Buffy told him. "But I was a little unhappy, I'll admit…"

 

"How come? I thought everything was fine in Buffy-land."

 

"Well it is. But, check these girls out. They're all skinny and perfect and definitely not pregnant. I am, and by the time I'm actually marrying Spike, I'll look even worse. I mean, by then, I'll be really, really fat."

 

Dawn, who'd been sitting by the counter reading some book while listening to the conversation, sighed. She had heard her sister whine about the subject for weeks already, and had suggested that if it was so important for Buffy to be thin on her wedding day, she should wait until the baby was born to get married. But Buffy did not want that, she wanted Spike to be her husband when she gave birth. Dawn thought the whole thing was annoying, but kind of sweet.

 

Xander had another idea for how Buffy would not have to look fat on her wedding day.

 

"How about not marrying him?"

 

Buffy threw a little ball of paper at him, and he laughed and screamed. "Take it easy, Buff, I'm just kidding!" he exclaimed at her look.

 

"Well it's not fun," Buffy pouted.

 

Dawn walked over to the group by the table. "Haven't we had this discussion at home already, B?" Her sister had picked up on Faith's old nickname for Buffy a couple of weeks ago.

 

"Dawn, go away."

 

"Can we go away together?" Dawn asked hopefully. "We can go like home. I'm bored."

 

"Dawn…" Buffy began but stopped. "Fine, we'll go home."

 

Spike would be home by now, and they all needed to eat dinner – which Buffy of course first had to make. Buffy had always thought of herself as a walking disaster in the kitchen, but lately, when she had been forced to at least try and make healthy food, she had found it was not as hard as she had thought. It was actually a whole lot of fun.

 

"Let's go."

 

 

* * *

 

 

The surroundings were dark, only lit by a few candles standing in no special formation around the room.

 

"Have you found it?"

 

The voice that broke the silence was dark and bone chilling. Two smaller, dark figures made their way up towards the throne, both with auras of power and evil around them. They were graceful in their movements, dark clad and identical in their looks.

 

"It's her, sir," they said in unison. "May we ask why you called us, Lord?"

 

"You have been called, my Twins, to perform some spells on this girl."

 

"But this girl is special, Lord," the twins replied, "Not only is she the Chosen One, she is also –"

 

"I know very well who and what she is," the dark voice from the throne interrupted. "I know what I want, and you have only been called here to do what I tell you. Now will you?"

 

Through the gracefulness of both demons, the creature on the throne could sense one of the Twins was scared. Yet he did not say anything; he knew he had them both under his power.

 

"We will do it, Lord," they both said.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

Buffy rubbed her lower back while waiting for the water to begin boiling.

 

"Back hurting, pet?"

 

Spike's hands moved around her waist and she jumped at the touch, not having heard him enter the room. She sighed loudly as he began massaging carefully.

 

"Yeah," she said, leaning on him. I guess I should get used to it though. The books said back hurting is common, especially later on in the pregnancy."

 

He moved his hands from her back onto her stomach again. "Maybe it's worth it," he whispered in her ear.

 

She giggled. "Well, you wouldn't know anything about it, now would you? You won't have to go through anything to set this child to this world –"

 

"Nothing, love?"

 

"Nothing that's uncomfortable," she said, slightly annoyed, as she turner around to face him. He smirked.

 

"Nah, the part I was involved in was definitely comfortable."

 

She glared at him. "It's just unfair. Why do I have to take everything? I'm having to changing my body, hurting my back, breast swelling, being sick in the morning…" She looked up at him and saw that he was watching her with a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm being whiny."

 

"It's all right, love. I understand that it can't be easy, but I still hope that you think it's worth it."

 

"Oh Spike of course I think it's worth it. To have a baby – it's a chance I thought I'd never get, being the Slayer and all. You know I'm the happiest girl on Earth." She tilted her head to kiss him again.

 

"I know. Now, let's see if we can make you comfortable again…" He sneaked his hands underneath her shirt, letting her stomach fill his hands before continuing up to her breasts. She sighed happily.

 

A noise interrupted them and Buffy turned around to find the water on the stove boiling over.

 

"Shoot," she swore to herself, while Spike took a step back to let her handle the stove. He knew she would only get annoyed if he tried to help her.

 

Forty-five minutes later, dinner was on the table. Neither one of the two noticed the two dark figures outside of the window, listening intently to every word said.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"I can't believe it's already December."

 

"And I can't believe I'll be seven months pregnant very, very soon," Buffy sighed to her little sister.

 

"You know," Dawn told her, "That is the only thing you talk about these days."

 

Buffy glared at her. "Well it's kinda hard to keep your mind off something that will soon make me unable to see my toes," she shot at her. She made a gesture at her stomach, which did not seem as big at the moment because it was hidden underneath a huge sweatshirt.

 

"Yeah, yeah," Dawn sighed and turned her attention back to the TV. A second later, she looked back at Buffy. "When's Spike coming home?"

 

"I don't know, he said it could get late, cause there are a lot of guys sick right now, so he'll have to be there some extra."

 

"He really likes that job, now doesn't he?" Dawn asked.

 

"Seems like it. He spends a whole lot of time there, that's all I – Aii!"

 

A loud crash interrupted the calmness of the room as a ball of fire made thousands of glass splinters rain over the room. Dawn screamed as the pieces tore into her flesh, while Buffy tried her hardest to cover her sister, throwing her down on the floor. A couple of seconds later, all the glass was on the floor, and other than the burning something on the floor, things were calm once more.

 

"W-what was that?" Dawn stammered quietly, trying unsuccessfully to brush of pieces of glass from her clothing without getting any more cuts.

 

"I don't know," Buffy replied, "Are you all right?"

 

She looked at her baby sister. Dawn was bleeding a little from a cut by her right eyebrow, and some smaller shards had bruised her arms, but other than that she seemed physically okay.

 

"Yeah, I'm fine," Dawn said. "Though… I hate to say this, but it makes me a little … nervous when there comes burning thing through the window."

 

Buffy, who was making her way slowly towards the burning something turned around a little and gave her sister a small smile. Then she turned her attention back to the thing on the floor. The fire was dying out quickly, but it seemed as though the thing that had been burning was still fine. It was a rolled up piece of paper.

 

Buffy stretched her hand out and grabbed it once the fire was out, but screamed and let it go quickly as the thing burned her hand.

 

"Ouch," she said. "On second thought, I just might wait a little before looking at that…"

 

Dawn walked over to her sister and took Buffy's hand in hers. "Stay here," she said, "I'm gonna get the first aid kit."

 

"That's not," Buffy began, but her sister was already out of the room, "Necessary."

 

At that very moment, the front door opened and Spike came in. His eyes were wide open and he looked around the room in a slight panic. "Buffy?" he asked. "Nibblet?"

 

"We're here," Buffy said, walking over to him. "We're fine, don't worry."

 

"Don't worry?!" Spike asked. "I see someone run away from our house and the living room window is broken and I hear screaming and I shouldn't worry?!"

 

"Spike, really, it's okay. But you saw who did it?" That part had gotten her interest immediately.

 

"Just a shadow, no, actually there were two," Spike said, now bringing Buffy close and holding her while stroking her hair. "But I didn't see who it was. I would have gone after them but I had to make sure you were all right first. Now I would like to see the bleeding idiots, I would rip their arms off and cut their throats open and -"

 

"Spike, honey, that is way more than I want to hear," Buffy told him with a smile. "Although I can't say that I wouldn't do just about the same."

 

"Buffy, here's the first aid kit," Dawn said as she came down the stairs. When she saw that Spike was there, she ran down and threw her arms around him as though it had been years and years since she last saw him.

 

After Spike had hugged his two favorite girls for another couple of minutes, the trio made their way to the couch. Dawn lay with her head on Buffy's lap, while Buffy herself leaned on Spike a little. Soon, Buffy began stroking her sister's hair. It was a calming motion; it always made her feel better.

 

Once Dawn had fallen asleep, Buffy and Spike began talking in low voices after wrapping Buffy's burned hand. Spike had picked up the piece of paper from the floor a while before, and the two were now studying it.

 

"This is stupid," Buffy concluded. "And it's definitely not English."

 

"No, pet, it isn't."

 

"Why can't they write things in good ol' English instead of making prophecies in dumb languages that no one knows?" Buffy muttered. "And what's the point of throwing this into our lives when we don't get any of it anyway?"

 

"Well, as it turns out, love, this doesn't seem to be some ancient language at least."

 

"Huh? You're saying that you get what this says?" Buffy asked. Her tone was a little too loud, and Dawn stirred on the couch. The couple held their breaths, not wanting Dawn to wake up, and soon, she settled once more.

 

"Well, I'm not sure, but it seems as though this scroll is written in Swedish."

 

"Swedish? That's like, um, Sweden, right? Somewhere in Europe?"

 

"Very good, love. It's in Scandinavia. And if it is Swedish, then there are about nine million people who know the language this is written in."

 

"Uhu. And this you know because…?"

 

"Pet, I'm over a hundred years old. I have picked up some things during the years."

 

Buffy looked at him with a bored look. "So you decided to get to know everything about a country with nine million people?" she asked, disbelief in her voice.

 

Spike glared at her before turning on his charm instead, knowing that his fiancé was bored with the conversation anyway.

 

"That wasn't all I learned," he told her in a low voice, brushing his lips over hers.

 

"Spike, not… Dawn…" Buffy mumbled, but was silenced with a passionate kiss. She tried to resist but found herself loosing the battle with Spike very soon and her hands moved up over his hard, muscular body. Then she abruptly broke off.

 

"Not here," she whispered and pointed at Dawn, who was still laying with her head on the Slayer's lap.

 

"I'll fix that," Spike smiled. He got up and lifted Dawn carefully. "I'll be right back." He disappeared up the stairs with the still sleeping Dawn in his arms.

 

A couple of minutes later he was walking back down the stairs. It was quiet downstairs. Spike found his way to the living room, but stopped in the entrance. A tender smile crept onto his face, because on the couch was the petite Slayer, sleeping. Her bandaged hand rested lightly on her swelling tummy and the other one was under her head.

 

Spike let Buffy's slow and steady heartbeat, and the baby's faster one, fill his mind as he looked at her on the sofa.

 

My angel, he thought.

 

He just stood there watching her for a while, content and happy. Then, half an hour or so later, he walked over and picked her up. She fit so perfectly in her arms. Although the pregnancy was making her heavier, to him she was still as light as a feather. She cuddled closer to him unconsciously, as he made his way up the stairs for the second time.


	6. Chapter 6

"This is interesting," Giles muttered more to himself than to anyone in the shop. It was good that he was not expecting anyone to listen, because no one was. Instead, the Scoobies were all around Buffy and Dawn, with the exception of Anya who was helping a customer.

 

"So, all of a sudden, this burning thing flew in through the window, and it was all like crash, boom, bang and there was glass everywhere," was Dawn's condensed version of what had happened the night before.

 

Buffy sat by the table, her head rested in her hands. Since Dawn enjoyed being the center of attention, the Slayer thought she had let her sister be just that for once.

 

Spike sat next to Buffy, holding the hand that was not burned.

 

"Tired?" he asked her.

 

"Yeah," she replied. "I guess it's the pregnancy… Although it's worse than usual."

 

"Well, you're getting further along, pet." Buffy nodded at him, then closed her eyes and leaned on him. He wrapped his arms around her and rocked her back and forth.

 

"So, Buffy, what do you think this is?" Xander asked, turning his attention from the younger to the older of the Summers sisters.

 

Buffy opened her eyes and looked at him. "I don't know," she said. She closed her eyes once more.

 

"Are you tired?" Willow asked, as though the answer was not obvious.

 

Buffy nodded a small nod, her eyes still closed.

 

"You know, pet, maybe we should go home and get you to bed if you're that tired," Spike suggested.

 

Buffy nodded, "Yeah."

 

"Nibblet, are you coming?" Spike said, helping his fiancé up.

 

"Yeah, I'm just gonna get my stuff from the back." The brunette disappeared.

 

Suddenly, Buffy's grip on Spike tightened and she wobbled as she tried to walk.

 

"Buffy what is it? What's wrong?" Spike asked, immediately concerned. He held an arm around her to steady her, and she leaned on him.

 

"Spike…" Buffy moaned, "I… I don't feel so good…"

 

"Buffy, love, what's wrong?"

 

"I feel sick… I'm so tired…" she whispered.

 

Her grip on his hand hardened more, and he felt more of her weight on him. Instead of trying to steady her more, he resolutely picked her up in his arms. She had one arm around his neck and her head buried in his shoulder.

 

"Buffy, stay awake, okay?" Spike begged her, feeling the panic rise.

 

"But I'm so tired…"

 

Meanwhile, the gang was just standing around, watching. Then, suddenly, as though something woke them up, they were all around Buffy and Spike. Giles pushed them away from the Slayer, and motioned to Spike to take her into the training room. Dawn returned and when she saw her sister, she was close to tears once more. Giles made her sit down by the table while he went with Spike and Buffy to the training room. When Spike had put her on the floor, with her head on his lap, Giles asked,

 

"Do you have any idea of what this is?"

 

Spike shook his head. "No, Watcher, I don't! I don't have a bleedin' clue… Don't you think I would have told you if I did?"

 

"But, has she done anything special… Anything that could have brought this on?"

 

"I'm bloody telling you, I don't know!" Spike screamed, so loudly Buffy winced on the floor.

 

"Oh, love, I'm sorry," Spike said in a tone that was totally unlike his. He stroke her cheek gently.

 

"Could it have to do with the scroll?" Giles asked to himself. "It might be something…"

 

"Well then get bloody on it!" Spike said, then asked in a small voice, "What if it's the baby? What if it's hurting?"

 

"Spike, I'm fairly sure this has nothing to do with the baby. This seems much more like something brought on by magic."

 

With that, Giles disappeared out of the room, shooting a worried glance at the girl on the floor before returning to the shop. He walked right over to Willow and Tara.

 

"Can you do a spell to see if she's under some spell?" he asked the two Wiccas. "You know, like she did to see if her mom…"

 

"We know, Giles, we're already on it. We're using a faster spell than that one though, since we're used to magic."

 

"Well, she's in the training room with Spike, so when you're ready, just go in there."

 

The girls nodded and began collecting some ingredients for the spell. Anya gave them what they needed after Xander had convinced her that it was for life or death, and the two Wiccas set everything up around Buffy and Spike. He refused to leave her side, and since it did not matter to the spell, Tara and Willow let him stay.

 

They began to chant. Willow, who would be the one who saw if anything was affecting Buffy, held a candle in her hands, and soon, her eyes turned black. Her head shot upwards, and then she looked around the room in a confused manner. Moments later, her vision seemed to clear and she remembered what she was supposed to be looking at.

 

She grasped as she saw Buffy. As soon as she realized what was wrong, she ended the spell and ran out of the room to tell Giles.

 

"It's her hand," she said. "The injured hand, there is something dark, some magic…"

 

"Buffy said she'd burned her hand when she tried to grab the scroll when it was still warm…" Giles said, trying to understand. "Of course! The scroll was obviously burning by some sort of magic means, and when she touched it, even if the fire had seemed to go out, it infected her in some way."

 

"So the cure is…?" Willow asked. She was leaning on Tara, the spell having weakened her.

 

"I, um, don't know yet. But we will find it," Giles said, trying to sound certain.

 

"Of course we will," Willow said, trying just as hard to sound equally certain.

 

Xander walked over to them. "So, what are we looking for?"

 

 

* * *

 

 

Spike carefully got up, putting Buffy's head down on the mattresses gently. She did not even stir, making him worry even harder. He walked over to the little storage room on the side and took out the blanket and pillow he knew were in there. Then he walked back and positioned him in the same way as he was before, on the floor with her head in his lap. But now, her body was covered by one blanket.

 

Her breathing was slow, he knew she was sleeping. Although, he wondered how long it would be before she slipped of into unconsciousness.

 

"You need to wake up, love," he whispered to her, stroking her hair as he always did.

 

Tara had come in earlier and explained to him what was causing Buffy's sudden sleepiness. She had also told him they were working on the cure. He had taken in the information and nodded, then she had left.

 

He looked down at her bulging stomach. The one that was growing bigger and bigger for every day that went by. He had already wondered to himself several times how big a stomach could get.

 

She had told him her worries, her fears. She had a lot of those. She was more scared of becoming a mother than she had ever been, facing any evil.

 

"I will be responsible for someone's life!" she had exclaimed.

 

He had told her it would be all right. That all to-be parents worried, but that most turned out fine in the end. And he had told her that he would be with her and their child every single step of the way.

 

He was scared too. Mostly, he was scared that she would suddenly realize that the last few months had all been a huge mistake and that she would tell him to leave. He knew he would never be able to do that. He needed her like he needed oxygen these days.

 

"I love you so much, Buffy. Please wake up…"

 

 

* * *

 

 

"Giles! Giles! I think I've got it!" Willow exclaimed happily. She ran around the table with the thick book in her hand. "Look."

 

Giles read what it said on the page, and nodded. "Might just be. But… If we burn the script, we might burn something important."

 

"More important than Buffy?" Willow asked accusingly.

 

"No, no, I don't mean that," Giles defended himself. "But, it might be something useful. Maybe we should write it down somewhere before burning it."

 

"Giles, this thing says it takes twenty-four hours for someone infected by a black spell to get killed by it. That means that if Buffy touched it at like eight thirty last night, we have about half an hour till she will be…"

 

"Don't say it!" Willow screamed and held her hands over her ears.

 

Tara, who was holding the talked-about scroll in her hand said in her usual, quiet voice, "I have written down what it says now."

 

Everyone stopped dead in their tracks and stared at her.

 

"W-well," Tara stammered, "It wasn't that m-much text, and so I wrote it down while you…"

 

"Oh, thank you Tara," Giles said before taking the scroll out of her hand. "Now, anyone got matches?"

 

"Spike probably has a lighter," Xander suggested, but then added, "Never mind," as he remembered that Buffy had made him stop smoking when he became human.

 

"I have matches here," Anya said and gave a box to Giles. Giles and Willow disappeared into the training room.

 

Spike looked up when he heard the witch and the Watcher storm in. "We've got the cure," Willow explained happily. She ripped the scroll in four separate parts. "Can you move, this can't be done with you in the middle."

 

Spike obliged and got up gently as to not hurt Buffy in any way. Willow put the pieces of the scroll around the sleeping Slayer, and then walked around and lit each part on fire. The paper was soon consumed by it and when the spell was broken, Buffy stirred.

 

Spike was by her side again in a second.

 

She moved and opened her eyes and noted the blankets covering her. "W-where am I?" she asked quietly.

 

"You're in the training room, pet. You took a little nap."

 

"I don't remember…" Buffy mumbled. "I was tired and then…"

 

"It's okay, love. Everything is fine."

 

He kissed her forehead. She then tried to get up, but her body was still weak and could not. Spike let her continue to rest, once more with her head on his lap, until she was strong enough to go home.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"What was this whole deal good for?" the two voices asked, in unison as always.

 

Kaicynn and Kayarin stood in front of the throne. Both held their hands on their hips, and being mirror images of each other, one might think he was seeing double.

 

"To see how well they work together," the dark voice of the creature on the throne.

 

"But what if she had died? It would all have failed…" The sentences were hardly more than a whisper, yet it echoed greatly in the caves, making their voices even more terrifying than they were to begin with.

 

"She would not have died," the voice assured them. "I put the spell on the Slayer – I could have taken it away if the Wiccas had not figured it out. Now, instead, we know how they work. And now that the Slayer has been under our spell once, it will be easy to get her there again."

 

The females looked unhappy, their eyes gleaming at him in the darkness.

 

"Soon, Twins, the real plan will be set in action."

 

"And the baby?" the two asked, in perfect chorus as always.

 

"The baby will be ours, I promise." In the flicker of the lit candles, a smirk could be seen on the dark figure's face.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The Scoobies were all sitting in the Magic Box. Tara and Willow next to each other, Anya and Xander, Dawn leaning on Spike and Buffy holding his hand. They were all looking at the piece of paper that held the scribbled down writing of the now-gone scroll.

 

"Is it just me or does that look like gibberish?" Xander wondered with a sigh.

 

"It's not gibberish you daft git, it's in Swedish, as I've said a hundred bloody times already."

 

"So why don't you just translate it for us?" Xander asked.

 

"Cause I don't know Swedish well enough you bleedin' idiot."

 

"Hey! I'm not –"

 

"Enough!" Giles interrupted. He looked mad. "We won't get any closer by fighting. We need to figure this out though."

 

"How bout a Swedish translator?" Dawn sighed. "Seems the easiest way to go."

 

"Actually, I think I could do it," Anya said suddenly. "I spent a century or two in that cold country, and I think I remember some…"

 

"Why didn't you say that before?" Giles asked, exasperated. He took his glasses of and began polishing them, trying to calm himself.

 

Anya grabbed the piece of paper. "Okay, this was a really long time ago," Anya said, concentrating. "But here we go…"

 

Ont ändrat och gott tillsammans

Ett nytt liv gjort från död

Ett litet liv

Förändrar ansiktet av gammal ondska

Om född i mörkret

Död och förstörelse i hennes väg

Om hon i fel tid

Kommer in i denna värld

 

"I think it says this:

 

Evil turned and good together

A new life made from former death

A small life

Changes the face of old evil

If born in the dark

Death and destruction in her way

If at the wrong time

She enters the world"

 

Everyone stared at Anya, and then looked over at Buffy.

 

"I think that we can take the whole 'a normal kid' thing of the list," Dawn finally said.

 

"But what does it mean?" Buffy asked. "That my baby's gonna fight?"

 

"If someone chooses the wrong path to lead her down, yes, I believe so," Giles said.

 

"I guess whomever threw that thing through your window is after the baby," Willow said. "But why would they give the scroll to you and let you know about their plans?"

 

"Maybe it's a friend?" Anya said positively. "Some person wants to make you aware that something can happen with your kid."

 

Again, everyone stared at Anya.

 

Giles cleared his throat and said, "Well, as much as we could hope for that, I don't think that is the case."

 

"Yeah," Buffy said. "We live on a Hellmouth, filled with Hellmouth-y demons, and those Hellmouth-y demons aren't always that bright… They like me to know about their plans." She sighed, and Spike squeezed her hand.

 

"Don't worry," he said, opening his mouth for the first time since Anya had finished translating the text. "I won't let anything hurt our baby."

 

"I know you won't. And I won't either. If they want the Slayer's baby, they are going to have to go through the Slayer herself and her British boyfriend…"

 

"And the Slayer's little sister!" Dawn quipped in happily.

 

"Oh no you don't," Buffy told her little sister. "You are going to stay as far away as possible from this!"

 

"But –"

 

"No buts. Otherwise the Slayer's little sister will be grounded till she's forty," Buffy threatened.

 

Dawn pouted at her big sister. "Fine," she said. "If I'm not needed here, which I'm obviously not, may I then leave? Richie wanted me to meet him at the coffee house."

 

Buffy looked at her little sister, who'd stood up, hands on her hips. She looked so grown up suddenly. Sure, she was not acting all that grown up, but neither did Buffy all the time. Besides, Buffy understood why Dawn was mad. Dawn felt constantly excluded from the Scooby Gang, because she was too young. Never mind that she was sixteen now, the same age Buffy was when the Scooby Gang had first been created.

 

"You go. Just call home and have Spike pick you up when you want to get home."

 

Dawn nodded and disappeared.

 

Buffy turned her attention back to the piece of paper. "Is there anything else we can do here, or can Spike and I go patrol?"

 

Giles shot her a look; he still did not feel comfortable having the hugely pregnant Slayer patrolling. Buffy caught the look and sighed. "Fine," she muttered. "He will patrol, after he escorts me home – is that okay with you, Giles?"

 

"It is for your best, Buffy, you and the baby."

 

"I know," she said. Under her breath, she added, "Still sucks though."

 

 

* * *

 

 

Dawn, Spike and Buffy all helped decorate the Summers' home for Christmas. Spike and Dawn went out and got a huge Christmas tree, and he put small lamps all over the roof of the house. Dawn had thought it was hilarious to watch him try and get the electricity to work, at the same time as keeping his balance.

 

Now the sun had gone down, and the three were cuddled on the couch. It was two days until Christmas, and the trio had felt it was a good time to have a calm night together. Spike had patrolled earlier, but there was not much going on, so he had come home early.

 

The TV was on, and the Simpsons was showing.

 

"This is crap."

 

"Dawn! Language!" Buffy scolded.

 

"Well it is. I don't care what my friends say, I just don't like it. Can't we watch the movies instead?"

 

She got up and walked over to the bag on the floor by the tv. Buffy and Spike had gone to Blockbuster earlier on and rented some movies. She picked the first one up.

 

"'Pearl Harbor'? Why in the world did you rent that? Next… 'The Mexican'? I saw that in the movie theaters. Maybe it's better on a tape where you can fast forward every time it gets boring, cause that's a movie that they could've been rougher on when it was on the cutting board… Still, nah. Ooh, here's something! 'Bridget Jones's diary'! That's what we're watching!"

 

She popped the tape into the VCR and pushed play before walking back to the sofa. That's when she noticed that her two guardians were both fast asleep on the couch. She smiled to herself. Spike laid behind Buffy, his body spooned against her. One hand rested on her stomach. They looked so cute together. Quietly, she got the camera from the kitchen and took a picture. Another one for her collection of cute pictures to save for the future.


	7. Chapter 7

On Christmas Eve, the whole gang was gathering in the Summers' home to exchange gifts. The house was filled with activity from the moment Buffy woke up on the couch in Spike's arms and discovered that she should have begun cooking the food an hour earlier. Spike spent several minutes trying to calm her down, and then helped her getting started in the kitchen.

 

Dawn came down a while later.

 

"Oh, the cute sleeping couple is up," she grinned.

 

"Dawn, eat breakfast and then get out," Buffy said. Her tone was not angry, only stressed.

 

"Geez B, take it easy. It's only the Scoobies coming over, not the President."

 

Buffy shot Dawn a look and Dawn muttered, "Fine." She took a bowl and filled it with cereal.

 

Later at night, Spike and Buffy had gotten the food done in a joined effort, and the whole house smelled. Xander and Anya had arrived and Anya was putting their gifts under the tree. Tara and Willow was sitting on the couch, cuddling together as the cute couple they were. Dawn was setting the table, and the only one the group was waiting for was Giles.

 

The doorbell rang and Dawn ran to open. Buffy made her way into the hallway in time to see Giles take his coat off, and hugging Dawn.

 

"Merry Christmas, Buffy," he greeted her then, and hugged her gently.

 

"Merry Christmas, Giles," she replied with a smile.

 

"Ooh, Giles is here, then we can open presents, right?" Anya asked.

 

"An, take it easy," Xander said, putting an arm around his fiancée. "There'll be plenty of time to open presents later on."

 

"Good. Cause now that we have spent that much money on them –"

 

"Not something you're supposed to talk about, An," Xander interrupted.

 

Willow and Tara came over too, and more greetings were exchanged. Buffy stood silent, one hand resting on her belly, just watching her friends interact. There was a time when she thought she would never have this kind of happiness – especially after her mother died – but as she stood there, she felt complete. Content. Happy.

 

"If all you kids would be as kind as to step into the dining room!"

 

Buffy – and the rest of the gang – turned around to see Spike in the doorway, a red apron over his normal black clothing and a Christmas hat on his head.

 

Xander stood staring. Giles looked amused. Tara, Willow and Dawn giggled and Anya commented, "Nice hat." Buffy herself walked over and kissed him.

 

"What was that for?" he asked, a silly grin on his face.

 

She pointed upwards at the mistletoe hanging there and grinned at him.

 

"Oh. Well then I should move before the whelp or the Watcher gets some ridicules idea…" She giggled, and they made their way into the dining room, where Dawn had set the table and Spike had placed all the food he and Buffy had cooked.

 

"Mm, smells delicious Buff," Xander said and sat down.

 

The others followed and soon, they were all eating and laughing and talking.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"To Giles from Buffy."

 

Dawn gave the carefully wrapped package to the Watcher, who took it and opened it. He tried not to show it, but he loved opening presents just as much as the youngsters did.

 

"Thank you Buffy, I've been looking for this," Giles said, holding the book and flipping through a few pages with care.

 

"You're welcome," the Slayer replied with a smile and a hug to her Watcher.

 

Dawn, who had been chosen act as Santa and hand the presents out, chose the next gift. "From Xander to Anya."

 

Anya took the present eagerly and opened it, hardly even noticing the beautiful wrapping paper. Inside was a little box, and Anya squealed in delight when she opened it.

 

"They are beautiful!" she said, throwing herself around Xander's neck. "But do we really…?"

 

"Don't worry about that right now. You've wanted those earrings for months, and you're more than worth it." He kissed her gently.

 

"Let me see," Dawn begged, and Anya held the box up to the teen. The earrings were made out of gold, with small diamonds on. They were gorgeous.

 

"Shall we continue?" Willow asked, eager herself to give and receive presents. Dawn nodded to the witch and picked the next present up.

 

"Merry Christmas Buffy, from Dawn," she said. "Well, since it's from me, I can add that it's not really for you, but…"

 

"And what is that supposed to mean? Did you buy a Backstreet Boys CD or something that you will steal?" The words could have been harsh, but Buffy was smiling and hugged Dawn as she gave her her gift. It was small and soft, and Buffy quickly got the tape off and opened it. She gaped at the content.

 

"They are adorable, Dawn, thank you!" Buffy said happily. She held up the little blue set of baby clothes to the rest of the gang, and they all 'oohed' and 'ahed'. Buffy lost herself a little in looking at the small set of clothing. Despite the fact that she and Spike had been planning on going shopping for baby stuff, it had not happened so far. Some part of her was still telling her that something might go wrong, that the baby would not be right. But now she was imagining how her baby would look in these clothes. Her baby. She smiled.

 

While Buffy got lost in thought, Dawn continued to hand out gifts. Tara got a necklace from Willow, and Tara gave Willow a set of shower creams and gels, to which Willow replied, "You think I smell bad?" Then everyone had laughed and continued to enjoy the evening.

 

"To Xander from Anya." The package was small and Dawn handed it to Xander. He opened it quickly and smiled when he saw the video game Zelda lying there.

 

"Well, I'm bored with your other video games so I thought I'd get you something else," Anya explained. She received another kiss.

 

"Ooh, this is for me. 'To Dawn from Buffy'." Dawn quickly shredded the paper on the floor and smiled happily as she picked out a shirt and a pair of pants. "Cool! Thanks B!" She hugged her sister before continuing.

 

"To Spike from Buffy."

 

"I told you you didn't have to get me anything, Slayer," Spike said, but taking the gift out of Dawn's hand nonetheless. It too was fairly small and hard, and Spike gently opened it, taking care not to rip the paper. By the time he had opened it fully, Dawn was sighing in boredom.

 

"Thanks love," Spike said, kissing Buffy. There were three things inside the box. Three frames, holding three pictures. One of Buffy and him, taken at Thanksgiving earlier in the fall. One of Spike, Buffy and Dawn, in the summer out in the sun, not to long after Spike found out he was human. The last one held an ultrasound picture of their baby, from their latest visit at the doctor.

 

"It's perfect."

 

"Well, I wanted to find one where I looked better than that –" she pointed at the Thanksgiving one, where her stomach was showing, "– but I didn't find one."

 

"You look beautiful, love, don't worry." She smiled at him, and wondered how she could ever have been able to resist his charms.

 

"From Giles to Buffy." Dawn handed her sister an envelope.

 

"Ooh, more for me?" She opened the envelope and found a gift certificate for Charlotte Russe, one of her favorite stores.

 

"I, um, didn't quite know what to get you, so I decided you get to chose for yourself."

 

"That's fine with me, Giles," Buffy smiled.

 

Another couple of presents were handed out, which was followed by more thank you-s and happy smiles. Finally, Dawn said, "I think that was all."

 

"Actually," Spike said, sitting up from his seat on the couch. Buffy pouted at him, having lost her comfortable position when Spike moved. "There are some more. Two, to be exact."

 

He disappeared from the room and came back a moment later with a box – the round kind, in which you got hats in other times – and held it out to Dawn. "Merry Christmas, Nibblet."

 

Dawn took the box and set it on the floor, and lifted the top off. "Oh my gosh!" she squealed. "She's so pretty!"

 

"You got her a kitten?!" Buffy exclaimed at the sight of the little fur ball.

 

"Oh Buffy I can keep her right?" Dawn picked the little animal up and petted her. Then she set the kitten down, and after playing a while with the little ball that Spike had put into the box too, it settled down on Dawn's lap, falling promptly asleep.

 

"Fine," Buffy sighed. "But she is your responsibility!"

 

Dawn nodded, before the kitten got her attention again.

 

"Okay, before everyone falls asleep down here, maybe we should finish off the gift exchange. After all, we have one left." The gang nodded and Buffy wondered what was going on. They were obviously up to something.

 

"Will you come, pet?" Spike asked and helped the Slayer off the couch. With the gang in tow – Dawn last, with the kitten in her arms – they walked up the stairs over to their bedroom. Spike opened the door and Buffy gasped.

 

"Oh my… This is…" She stared at the cradle in front of her. It was absolutely perfect. Made out of wood painted white, with layers of white and light, light blue cloths, and small stones embedded in patterns. "It is beautiful," Buffy breathed.

 

"You like it?" Xander asked.

 

"If I like it? Of course I do! Did you all…"

 

"Well, Spike came up with the idea," Xander replied, "And I did the wood part. The girls helped with the cloth part, Tara and Anya did the stones. Giles helped with some details, wherever he was, um, needed."

 

"It has a protective spell around it too," Willow quipped in.

 

"Guys thank you so much!" She hugged them all, one by one. "Dawn! Did you know about this?"

 

"I didn't have a clue…" Dawn said, slightly disappointed. She would have loved to be part of this surprise.

 

"Sorry Dawnie," Willow said, "It just… I dunno. We thought you might want to be surprised too."

 

Dawn nodded. Meanwhile, Buffy made her way over to Spike, and she kissed him. The kiss quickly became deeper, and finally, Xander cleared her throat to get the two to separate. Buffy and Spike just grinned happily at each other.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The Scoobies did not leave until three in the morning. By then, both Buffy and Dawn had fallen asleep, and Spike was the one to say goodbye to their friends instead. The next morning, Buffy awoke at nine, when Dawn came into the room and snuggled up between her and Spike. Buffy smiled, and stroke Dawn's hair as she had done since her sister was a baby.

 

Half an hour later, they made their way downstairs. Dawn found her stockings filled with smaller gifts and candy, and thus wanted to skip breakfast. But when the smell of pancakes reached her, she changed her mind.

 

Later that day, Dawn had left to go to Richie. Buffy and Spike sat cuddled on the couch, only semi-watching what was going on on the tv. Dawn's new kitten, named Luna, was sleeping in the hat box, which she was using as a temporary bed.

 

"Don't you think she's spending too much time with that boy?" Spike asked her.

 

"Who? Dawn? With Richie?"

 

"No, Cinderella with her bloody Prince Charming. Of course Dawn."

 

"Well, no. He is her boyfriend, why shouldn't she spend time with him. He's a nice kid, and a responsible one. And Dawn wouldn't do anything… bad."

 

"Just like you didn't when you were her age?"

 

"Why are we having this conversation?" Buffy asked, looking her fiancé in the eye. "Dawn is mature and responsible. I'm sure we can trust her to make the right decisions."

 

He frowned at her, but did not say anything.

 

"He won't hurt her, Spike. And even if he does, she has to learn from her own mistakes. You can't protect her from everything."

 

He looked at her, sadness in his eyes. "No," he said, "But it would be nice if I could protect her from something."

 

She watched him for a moment, slightly confused, but then realized what he was referring to. "Spike, you didn't fail her. Nor did you fail me. What happened up at the tower was just… You did your best. No one could have asked for anything more from you."

 

He still did not answer her, and he was looking away. She took his face in her hands and kissed his lips gently, lovingly.

 

"You didn't fail," she told him.

 

He took her in, and began kissing her harder. His hands traveled down her body, and he held her closer to him. He buried his face in her neck, kissing her. Her hands moved around his neck and played with her hair, and soon she was lost in him.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"Don't you think it's weird that we don't have seen or heard anything else about that scroll?" Buffy asked Giles when she was training a week later. Her training was not as hard anymore, but she had to train nonetheless to not lose all the control and power she had gained during the last year.

 

"I mean, first I get it almost thrown in my head, get a spell cast over me and then it's gone – poof! – with the fire and now we don't hear a thing about it."

 

She put her hands on her hips and looked up at her Watcher.

 

"To be honest, Buffy, I have looked into it, but I have yet to find anything of interest," Giles replied. "So far, there hasn't been anything to give us any further clue."

 

"I hate this. I hate being left in the dark! They can't just throw something in my head and then just disappear! It doesn't work that way!" Buffy was pacing back and forth, getting upset.

 

"Uh, Buffy, maybe you should sit down. Think about the baby."

 

"The baby's fine!" the Slayer shot back at him, though rubbing her aching back at the same time. "It's this stupid prophecy or whatever it is that is annoying, nothing else! Oh, I want to hit something…" she muttered under her breath.

 

"Willow and I are going to continue to look into this, Buffy, but until we find something, you will just have to be careful, all right?"

 

Buffy stopped pacing, her hands on her hips. She stared at her Watcher for a few moments, then sighed. "Fine. I'll be good."

 

 

* * *

 

 

"Spike! Get down here now!" Buffy yelled.

 

It did not take more than ten seconds before Spike was standing in front of her in the hallway, putting his shoes on.

 

"You know, it would be good if we could avoid being late for this one thing, you know. It's three weeks till we get married – it's kind of a good idea if we know what we're serving, and over all doing," she told him as he got ready.

 

"Dawn!" she yelled next. Her sister came scurrying down the stairs.

 

"Yes ma'am?" she asked, staring at her sister.

 

"Will you please be good tonight? Stay out of trouble? For once?"

 

"Buffy, I am sixteen years old, not a little baby! Jeez, just relax. I'll be good and I'll be fine. Will you go now?"

 

The Slayer gave her younger sister a stern look before turning to her fiancé. "Ready?"

 

"Yes ma'am," he said and Buffy glared at him.

 

"Let's go."

 

 

* * *

 

 

He did not know where it had started. Somewhere around the wedding cake, he thought. Spike had been bored to death by the wedding coordinator, and he did not understand how Buffy could sit there and look so, so, so… interested.

 

They had begun fighting. It had started out with the Slayer telling him,

 

"Spike, pay attention!"

 

When he did not, instead yawned visibly, hell had broken loose. He had tried to put an arm around her, but she pushed him away.

 

"You really don't care about this, now do you?"

 

"Oh yes Slayer, I care so much about what kind of bleeding wedding cake we are going to eat," he had replied sarcastically, getting a bit annoyed with her.

 

"You know, you were the one who asked to marry me!"

 

"I didn't ask to get the whole wedding bloody package with a boring old lady into it!" The wedding coordinator had not even had time to look offended, she just stared from the to-be bride to the to-be groom, wondering if they were really to-be.

 

"This is what you go through when you get married," Buffy practically yelled at him.

 

"I don't care! It is boring!"

 

"I- You- Go to hell, Spike." She turned away, and he stared at her. When she refused to look at him again, he got out of his seat and walked out of the room, leaving one pissed off Slayer and a very confused wedding coordinator behind him.


	8. Chapter 8

Spike could not sleep. In his mind, his fight with Buffy played, over and over again. The whole fight was in all honesty bloody stupid, but nonetheless, it was a fight. He did not know what had really started it – though he believed his words to Dawn, that things had been intense the last few weeks, what with the wedding coming up, Christmas, and of course the baby, who was soon to be delivered.

 

The thought made him smile, despite recent events.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Buffy looked out the window of the cab. The dark night made it hard to see much of anything, but that did not matter. She did not see what she was looking at anyway.

 

She rested one hand on her huge belly, and felt the baby kick. It was a strange sensation, to have something within you kick, but it was a wonderful sensation all the same. She had not thought that she, as the Slayer, would ever get the chance to have a child. Yet here she was, with the baby soon in her arms.

 

She let her thoughts slip, wondering if the child would be a boy or a girl, and wondering who it would look more like – her or Spike.

 

Spike.

 

She had tried and tried to keep him out of her thoughts, but without succeeding. She could not remember why she had gotten so mad at him. The coordinator had been putting her to sleep too – she had just been putting on an interested face. She did not blame Spike for not doing the same. And yet at the time, it had seemed as the most annoying thing in the world.

 

The fight had been dumb. It had also been unnecessary. Or maybe that was just it; it had been needed for them to realize that they should not be fighting. Buffy had been with Spike every moment of the day – and night – for the last few weeks, and maybe that was what was showing now. That and the fact that her hormones still seemed to be playing her every now and then.

 

The cab stopped outside of a small, cute looking hotel. "We are here, ma'am," the driver said.

 

"Thank you." Buffy paid him and left the car after retrieving her bag.

 

She had decided to use the hotel reservation when she had the chance, even if it would not be the special just-her-and-Spike-weekend she had hoped it to be. After she had signed in, she took the elevator to the fourth floor and found her room. It was small, with one big comfortable bed in the middle, and two tables on the sides. One chair stood in a corner, and a TV was placed on a small shelf on the wall.

 

She flopped down on the bed, the bag hitting the floor at the same time.

 

I miss him already, she realized. I've been away from him for only a couple of hours, and I already miss him.

 

Slowly, she laid down on the bed. She pulled her feet up as high as her swollen belly would allow it, and before long, she drifted off to sleep.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The two black shadows outside of the window watched as the Slayer fell asleep. The night was quiet except for the flapping of the two creatures' wings, and they did not disturb the peace in any way when they informed their Master of the girl's whereabouts.

 

"They have fought," Kaicynn told her Lord through telepathy. "The Chosen One and the vampire that is not have fought."

 

"She is missing him," Kayarin added.

 

"This is going to the plan then," the dark voice came back. Kayarin almost gave in to the shudder growing inside of her at the sound of the voice, but stopped herself. Her Master would feel her fright.

 

"What are we to do, Master?" Kaicynn and Kayarin asked unanimously.

 

"You are to take her, Twins. You are to take her and bring her to me. And see to it that she is unhurt!"

 

 

* * *

 

 

A soundproof barrier was set around the hotel room Buffy was staying in, so when the Twins entered the building, no one heard the glass being smashed. Kaicynn and Kayarin placed their hands over the sleeping Slayer, and she twitched for a second beneath the hands of such dark creatures, before falling into an oblivious unconsciousness.

 

The twins lifted her into the air through magic, and flew after her, leaving the room empty behind.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Spike woke up the next morning feeling uneasy. It was not a feeling he enjoyed, and for a second, he had to think of just why he was feeling it. Then he remembered.

 

Buffy.

 

Fight.

 

He got off the couch and stretched his slightly aching back – the pains of being human, he thought. Then he jogged up the stairs and peeked into Buffy's room, to see if she had come home during the night. He was not surprised to find that she was not there. He believed that if she had come home, he would have heard it.

 

Spike walked back downstairs silently, to not wake Dawn up. On the kitchen table laid the note he and Buffy had left for Dawn the night before, with the phone number and the address for the hotel. He quickly dialed the number.

 

"Hi, I'm calling for Buffy Summers? Room number 408? Thank you."

 

The woman on the other end did the connection for him, and his ear filled with the ringing signal once more.

 

When more than ten signals had gone through, he began wondering where she was. He let another five go, but without anyone picking up. A small worry began growing inside of him, because the woman in the reception had told him she had not seen Ms. Summers this morning.

 

He dialed the number for the hotel once more, and the receptionist was surprised to hear that no one was answering.

 

"Would you go up and check on her, please?" Spike asked.

 

"Well, we don't normally…"

 

"This is important – she is almost nine months pregnant, who knows…" Spike was not used to pleading, but on the other hand, lots of the human ways were still not like him.

 

"Uh, I see. I will go up and check that Ms. Summers is okay, and I will call you back in a couple of minutes, is that all right? What was your phone number again, sir?"

 

He gave it to her, and hung up the phone, anxiously awaiting the phone to ring again.

 

What if she is in labor and can't come to the phone? he asked himself. What if she is sick? What if something nasty came last night? What if…

 

The phone rang again, and Spike quickly picked it up.

 

"Yes?"

 

"Mr. Summers, I am sorry…" the girl on the other end of the line sounded almost hysterical. "I-I went up there, a-and the window… It was shattered, all over the floor… And-and…"

 

"Where's Buffy?" Spike almost screamed into the receiver.

 

"W-well, that is the p-problem… We can't find her."

 

The phone dropped out of Spike's hand and he stared numbly into the wall.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The Gang was in shock.

 

After Spike had dropped the phone, Dawn had come down the stairs. Spike's screaming had woken her up. She tried getting to Spike by calling to him, but did not manage to get through to him until she slapped him. First then did he seem to notice she was even there at all.

 

"What is it, Spike?" she asked.

 

"Th-the Slayer. She's gone." Then he seemed to realize what he had just said. "Fucking hell," he swore, "She's gone!"

 

He had explained what the receptionist had told him, and he had ordered her to get dressed while he called the others to a meeting at the Magic Shop. First, he had called Willow and Tara to tell them to drive out to the hotel. They were to check if there were any traces or clues as to who had taken Buffy.

 

The rest of the gang were now sitting in the Magic Shop, all shocked at the news.

 

"I'm betting my bloody humanity that whoever was behind the sleep-spell is behind this," Spike muttered. He was holding the paper with the translation of what the now-burnt paper had said, and he was pacing back and forth as he talked.

 

"Whoever it is obviously wants the baby," Dawn said.

 

"Well, whatever it is, when we find it, I am gonna kill it!" Xander exclaimed. Anya lifted her eyebrow at him.

 

"You and what army?" she asked. "This is obviously someone pretty powerful. To take the Slayer from a hotel full of people, without anyone noticing it. Besides, the room was on the fourth floor, and the window was broken so he or she probably came through the window, and that means they're probably pretty into magic – or they can fly. How else could they get a pregnant Slayer out?"

 

"Anya is right, I believe," Giles said, finally speaking. "Though what it is we are looking for, I still have no clue of. We have to wait for Willow and Tara to report if there is anything in the hotel room."

 

As if on que, the phone rang. Anya picked it up. "Welcome to the Magic Shop, this is Anya speaking, how can I help you spend your money?"

 

Pause.

 

"Oh it's you. You wanna talk to Giles?" She gave the receiver to the Watcher and the rest of the group watched him intently as he "hm"ed and "well"ed through the conversation. Before he was done, he said, "Thank you, this might be very useful… Very interesting indeed."

 

He hung up and turned to the gang. "They found traces of a soundproof spell performed somewhere during the night, and they got the feeling of that something very dark had been on the bed. They also believe that there were two of them, which might help us, because not too many demons work in pairs. Also, the girls are agreeing with your theory that the creatures have wings, Anya."

 

"To the books then, I'm guessing," Xander sighed.

 

"Yes, indeed."

 

"Not for me," Spike announced. "I'm going to Willy's – somehow I'm sure that that wanker has information."

 

"Can I come?" Dawn asked enthusiastically.

 

"Absolutely not." Dawn pouted, but Spike stayed strong, and the girl settled for researching with Xander, Anya and Giles.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"Ah! I don't know anything! I'm telling ya, I don't know!" Punch. "Ow! Hey, now let's be…" Right hook. "Okay, okay, maybe I know something." Eyebrow lift. "Oh yeah, it's all coming back to me now…"

 

"So talk before –"

 

Spike did not have to finish the sentence; Willy threw his hands up in the air. "All right," he said in a low voice. "Maybe I know. There are these chicks – two of them. Twins by the looks of it. Keeps talking about a 'Dark Lord', and I might have heard them mention the Slayer's baby a time or two."

 

Spike growled, and pressed Willy up against the wall. "Anything else you just 'might have heard of'? Like where they might hang out?" he pressed.

 

"Well… No…" Spike pressed at his throat a little harder. "It's some caves, I think! I don't know where! They've just mentioned caves!"

 

"Anything else?"

 

"No!" Willy replied. This time, it seemed honest to Spike. He eyed him for another second before releasing his grip on the other mans throat. With a final stare, he turned around and walked out of there, his duster blowing around his legs making him look almost invincible.

 

If only that had been how he felt.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Buffy felt as though her head was about to explode. At the same time, everything – reaching from her toes to her hair, out into her fingers and to the tip of her nose – hurt. She was scared to open her eyes, for she did not know if that would make the pain worse.

 

"Oh you can open your eyes, Princess. It's dark here."

 

It seemed whatever had spoken had read her mind. The voice chilled her bones though, and she was reluctant to open her eyes. Whoever had spoken had told the truth – it was dark. A couple of candles, placed near what looked like walls of a cave, were the only light sources. It was damp and chilly.

 

"How lovely to see that you are awake. Twins!"

 

Twins? Buffy did not understand what was happening; her mind was too fogged with pain. It also annoyed her that she could turn neither her head nor her body to look around, more than too see the candles out of the corner of her eye. She was tied to some sort of bench, and had no strength to break the ropes.

 

He Slayer Sense tingled and she could hear flapping. Two creatures had entered the place, and from the sound, Buffy thought, they were flying. Soon, she got it confirmed, as the two creatures – women, twins, by the looks of it – came over her.

 

"Bind her so I can do the spell," the dark voice instructed the Twins.

 

"W-what spell?" the Slayer asked in a small voice. "Who are you?"

 

At that, a cloaked form moved forward. Its hood made it impossible for Buffy to see its face until it was just next to her, leaning over her. Then she could see that where a face with eyes, nose, mouth and other human features would have been, there was only a gap. Something gray, foggy, swirled around inside instead. She did not know why – Buffy had seen lots worse in her days – but it frightened her more than anything else had ever known. She could not even scream.

 

"I am the Dark Lord. I am just doing a spell to take your baby," the gray fog told her.

 

That is when she screamed.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"What do we have? Spike?"

 

This time it was a full Scooby meeting. All members of the Gang were there – Tara and Willow were back from the hotel and Spike had returned from his visit at Willy's bar. Dawn, Anya, Xander and Giles had not moved from the books since Spike left.

 

"Willy said there are two 'chicks' as he called them, in on this," Spike told the group. "A set of twins. And someone they call 'the Dark Lord'. He didn't know anything about the latter. But he said they'd mentioned caves. Didn't know where though."

 

"That fits with what we found at the hotel!" Willow exclaimed. "Both Tara and I got the feeling that there had been two demons there, though they seemed kind of like one at the same time. Twins would explain that."

 

"We found twins here," Dawn filled in and gave a book to Willow. Spike looked at the pages over the witch's shoulder.

 

"They are very dark demons," Dawn continued. "The book says that they from the beginning were one, but that she didn't obey some hellgod, and as punishment, the hellgod split them into two. Problem is, though the hellgod thought that would make the demon weaker, it only gave it more strength. The power of the original demon doubled when it was turned into twins."

 

"Is there anything in there on destroying these lovely ladies?" Xander asked.

 

"Well, there is something," Giles chimed in. "It mentions that the demon is completely dark, as in extreme evil, and that good would destroy it."

 

"It's not much to go on, but it's a start…" Spike muttered. "What do the rest of you lot have?"

 

"Not much. There is an old text about some half ancient evil that was turned into fog some thousand years ago, and in the text, a Slayer's baby was mentioned. Some old prophecy, I think." Xander handed Spike the book.

 

Spike muttered to himself as he read through the text. "Anya!" he said finally, "Hand me that paper with the translation of the text…" The former vengeance demon, for once, handed Spike what he had asked for without any remark.

 

"Changes the face… Old evil… Wrong time… Bloody hell, this is the evil we are fighting!"

 

"Huh?" Xander asked, not getting anything.

 

"Watcher, come here." Giles moved forward. "This is the same bloody prophecy, written in slightly different ways, isn't it?"

 

Giles looked closer at the text in the book, and then at the piece of paper. "Very possible, since our translation might not be completely accurate. But I believe it is."

 

"In that case, I'm thinking we need to find this bleeding thing fast, or we're about to have an apocalypse actually happening."

 

 

* * *

 

 

Icing mumbling echoed through the room. The Twins were chanting in some language Buffy did not understand, nor did she care to actually try and listen. The fog of the creature she had just seen seemed to lay upon her, and she could no longer control her own body. She felt a pain soaring through her, but the fog still seemed to erase it. She was dimly aware that she parted her legs when the pain came, and equally dimly aware that someone had taken off her pants and instead had clad her in a black gown.

 

The mumbling began growing, and suddenly, a second shot of pain went through her. This time, the fog was not enough to block it out, and she screamed.

 

Around her, the twins stopped chanting.

 

"It is done," they said. "Now all is wait."

 

The cloaked creature seemed to chuckle to himself as the girl in front of him screamed in pain once again. She tried to turn, wanting to get away, but the ropes holding her were keeping her from getting her will fulfilled.

 

"Soon Slayer, soon it will all be over."

 

She screamed again.


	9. Chapter 9

After collecting weapons at the Magic Box, Giles drove everyone but Dawn and Anya – who got to stay behind as babysat and babysitter – to the mountains. Spike figured that the Initiative caves were the most likely to be the ones where the evil were hanging out.

 

Suddenly, Spike flinched as though something had hurt him.

 

"What is it?" Willow asked.

 

"I don't know," Spike said, in an odd tone. "It felt like something was hurting me, from the inside. Odd, really."

 

"Maybe it's the baby," Tara suggested.

 

The group stared at her as they continued their way through the woods. Giles had parked the car a couple of minutes ago, and they were continuing on foot, with flashlights turned on and weapons ready.

 

"Maybe Buffy is starting to give birth," Tara continued at the confused stares. "Spike probably has a s-strong connection to the baby, and to B-Buffy too for that matter. I-it wouldn't be too odd to say that he would feel her pain in labor."

 

"If she's in labor we better hurry," Giles said. Spike just kept going, speeding up even more, but quiet. In his mind though, he screamed out for his love that he was coming.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"Why is she not giving birth?" the Dark Lord yelled. "She is just screaming like that again and again, yet I see no baby!"

 

The Twins bowed their heads. "We do not know," they replied.

 

On the bench, Buffy continued to twitch back and forth. Sweat drops were running down her forehead, her face was a pale white. It felt like something was ripping her in half. One power that kept pushing something inside her one way, and another power trying to push the other way. She did not know which side to fight with, and either way, she could not do anything about it. She had no strength left inside, and whatever happened was up to the two powers.

 

She screamed again, as one power got the upper hand.

 

 

* * *

 

 

They entered the caves minutes later, and began the journey downwards. Neither knew exactly where they were going, though Willow had gotten a map out and located Buffy through a locator spell. The spell had only shown that Buffy was indeed in the Initiative caves – but not how to get there.

 

Spike, who had been in the caves the most, had decided they should just go there. He had insisted they would find a way to get to Buffy once they were there.

 

The caves felt chilly, and Willow and Tara were both glad they had brought sweaters.

 

Suddenly, Spike twitched again, and from somewhere in the dark, a scream could be heard. Everyone in the little group knew who that scream belonged to – the Slayer. They all began running down the damp holes, towards the scream.

 

"Illuminum," Willow muttered and a small ball of light appeared. She threw her flashlight to the side to be able to hold her balance on the slippery ground. The others did the same; the ball of light gave more light than all the flashlights together.

 

Another scream was heard, and this one was closer.

 

Spike increased his speed to one the rest could not follow. He had only one thought in his mind: Save Buffy and the baby.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"This is not right!" the Dark Lord yelled. "She is supposed to give birth now, not lay there and scream."

 

As another one of Buffy's screams echoed through the cave, a figure came running into the room.

 

"Stop that!" Spike screamed. "Stop hurting her!"

 

"I am not hurting her," the Dark Lord replied. "See, I am not touching her."

 

Buffy's screaming got to Spike again, but this time it gave him strength. Strength to fight what was hurting her. He launched at the Dark Lord at the same time as the rest of the group came flying into the cave. Giles and Xander both stood shocked for a moment at seeing Buffy, writhing back and forth in pain, lying on something that looked like a sarcophagus and clad in a black gown. It did not take a genius to see that she was in labor, and it did not take a genius to see that something was wrong either.

 

Willow and Tara stood still for a moment, taking in the scene. Seconds later, they joined hands and ran towards the twins on the other side of the caves.

 

Spike threw blow after blow at the black clad figure, his whole body filled with rage at this creature that was causing Buffy so much pain. Nothing he did, no blow or kick he delivered did anything though; the ancient being did not seem like he had an actual body.

 

Giles and Xander both ran towards Buffy, lying in the middle of the room. Giles got out a pocketknife from his pants, and began working on the ropes holding the girl down. Xander began talking to the Slayer, trying to connect with her. She did not seem to have even noticed they were there.

 

"Buffy? Buff?" Xander stroke her forehead and shook her shoulders slightly, but all the Slayer did was scream in pain once more. Her pale face was scaring Xander.

 

The Wiccas on the other side of the room were following the twins. The identical demons were throwing spells at the witches, but Tara and Willow protected themselves easily, and were throwing and equal lot back at them.

 

"Who are you?" Spike screamed at the creature he was fighting, another one of Buffy's screams giving him inhuman strength.

 

"You do not know me?" the Dark Lord asked, dissolving and appearing again, behind Spike. He kicked the former vampire in the back, landing him against a wall.

 

"I am the Dark Lord, and you do better to remember that," he said, lifting Spike up by the neck.

 

The creature made Spike look into the hood, made him see the fog an midst it really was, in the attempt to scare him. No human, including the Slayer, had so far escaped from seeing that with their minds still intact.

 

As Spike watched the fog swirl around where the Dark Lord's head should have been, memories that were not his came at him. The memories were Buffy's; how scared she had been when she saw the midst, and how fog still clouded her mind as the Dark Lord tried to bring her into labor.

 

"No!" Spike yelled at him, breaking free of the contact with the fog and the dark cloak. "You are bloody well not going to get her."

 

Then he began throwing blows and kicks at the creature again, with strength he did not know where it came from.

 

"W-what should we do? I think t-they are stronger," Tara said, holding her hands up to help the protective barrier put between the witches and the twins.

 

"I don't know… Knives don't hurt them, and they play with snakes. We've tried everything," Willow replied, holding her hands up in the same fashion as Tara.

 

"Ma-maybe not everything," Tara said. "We've tried dark magic – maybe we should go the other way around. Maybe we s-should do really 'light' magic, like the ball of sunshine spell a-and that kind."

 

"You know what, I think you're right," Willow almost smiled. "I can do a ball of sunshine."

 

She began chanting under her breath, and Tara soon fell into the rhythm.

 

Meanwhile, Giles was just getting through the second of the four ropes holding his hurting Slayer down. Xander had still not gotten anywhere closer to her; she still moved around and screamed, tossing back and forth as much as the remaining ropes would allow.

 

Spike, fighting with the Dark Lord, seemed to finally have gotten the upper hand. The creature seemed to be tiring, though he was still holding his own.

 

Suddenly, everything stopped. The last few words of the ball of sunshine spell were said, and up to the ceiling of the cave flew just that – a ball of sunshine. After a moment of silence, screams filled the room.

 

The Dark Lord was falling backwards and a sort of black light was shining from his insides. The ball of sunshine was pulling everything evil out of the people and demons in the room, and neither the twins nor the Dark Lord stood a chance against it. The twins were reacting in the same way as their Master to the light.

 

Just seconds later, it was all over. The twins had disappeared, turning into nothing and the only thing remaining of the Dark Lord was a black cloak, lying on the floor.

 

Spike did not spend any time wondering what had just happened. The second the cloak fell empty to the floor, he ran over to the bench on which Buffy was lying.

 

Buffy had suddenly quieted down. She was no longer twisting and turning back and forth, though by now Giles had freed her and no ropes were holding her. No, now she was lying as still as death on the sarcophagus.

 

"Buffy?" Spike cradled her in his arms. "Buffy, can you hear me?"

 

A quiet moan escaped from the Slayer's throat, and she moved in his arms. Spike had never in his life – or unlife for that matter – been more relieved. He placed a kiss on her forehead, but as he did that, she moved again. Her head bent backwards and a pained cry came out.

 

"Guys, I seriously think she's in real labor," Willow said. "We need to get her to a hospital fast."

 

 

* * *

 

 

No one needed to be told twice. In no time, Spike had picked Buffy up in his arms and was carrying her back through the caves. The ball of sunshine followed them, in a slightly smaller version now. Tara and Willow held onto each other, both tired from a night holding so much magic.

 

How Spike found his way out of the caves, nobody understood. But he did, and soon, they were out in the moonlit woods again. The air was calm, but offered no comfort to the distressed former vampire with his pregnant fiancé in his arms. The others struggled to keep up with him, and when they reached the car, Spike almost threw them inside. He placed himself in the back with Buffy lying down, her head in his lap. Willow and Tara jumped into the far back of the car, Giles drove and Xander took the other front seat.

 

"Can't this thing go any faster, Watcher?" Spike asked as Buffy moved once more in pain.

 

Giles did not reply, but the three other Scoobies could feel the car fly just a little quicker down the road.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"I bloody need someone here," Spike yelled into the emergency room. "She's in labor, she needs help."

 

Nurses were already running towards him, and he got to put Buffy on a stretcher. Then they ushered him to the reception desk, where he got a ton of paper to fill out.

 

"I don't want to write sodden papers," Spike exclaimed, "I want to be with my friggin' fiancé, who just happens to be in labor. Watcher!"

 

Giles came over, and Spike handed him the papers. "Here, you know this stuff better than I do. I'm going to find Buffy." Spike was already on his way when he seemed to remember something. "Whel- Xander, will you go to the house and pick up Dawn? I'm guessing she wants to be here."

 

For once, Xander did not argue with the bleached one. Instead, he got the keys to the Summers' van and walked off. Willow and Tara sat down on the couches in the waiting room; both were exhausted.

 

 

* * *

 

 

First there had been something light. With that, the pain had stopped. Then she had heard voices – one in particular. Spike. He had been calling to her, and she had tried, so hard, to answer. But she was so tired, and her body would not do what she told it to anymore.

 

Then the hurt began again, though it was different this time. It was not two powers pulling one way each now; it was just a pain that seemed to split her down the middle nonetheless.

 

For some reason, her mind told her that it was 'good' pain though.

 

That something good would come out of it. She could not understand how anything good would come out of such pain, but she was ready to endure it if the results were good.

 

Spike, something inside told her suddenly. Spike is not with me anymore. Where is he? She could not feel him.

 

"Spike…" she mumbled. Quietly at first, but as she became more aware that he was not with her, the screams became louder.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Spike had no clue of where he was going, but at the same time it felt like he did. He knew the second he turned the right way that it was the right way, just like he knew the second he turned a wrong corner, that it was wrong. His gut and heart told him how to get to Buffy.

 

Then he heard her scream his name in reality, not only in his heart and mind. He sped up his steps, going on pure adrenaline by this time.

 

He stormed into the room where his Buffy was lying, and nothing any of the nurses told him could stop him.

 

"Really, you can't be here," a young female nurse told him.

 

That was the first time since he became human that Spike really wanted to get into game face; just to show the nurse that nothing stood between him and Buffy now.

 

A doctor walked over to him. "We are doing a c-section on her; she's too weak to go through labor," she told him.

 

Spike nodded, and returned his attention to Buffy, whose eyes fluttered open just then. "Spike?" she asked in a small voice that did not sound like hers.

 

"Yes it's me love, I'm here… Sh… We are going to have a baby soon. They are going to do a c-section on you though, because you don't have enough power to go through labor."

 

"No…" Buffy whispered. "I want… real… No c-section…"

 

"Buffy, it's for your own good."

 

"No," she said, her voice sounding only slightly stronger.

 

Spike called the doctor over, and she walked there. "We are ready to perform the c-section," she told the two.

 

"No…" Buffy mumbled again. "Real…"

 

Spike made a try at a smile for the doctor. "It seems the lady doesn't wish for a c-section. She wants the real thing. Is that possible, doctor?"

 

"Well, it is possible, though I'm not in any way recommending it. She's very weak already, and going through real childbirth won't be what she needs right now."

 

"I don't care…" the Slayer mumbled, then turned again as the pain from another contraction shot through her.

 

"All right, if that is what she really wants. I am going to give her pain medication though. I believe it won't be more than ten minutes until she is ready to give birth, by the way things are looking. She's moving through the steps very quickly."

 

"Well, what can I say? She's always been impatient," Spike said, and this time, he managed a smile.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"Come on, one more," the doctor and Spike cheered at the Slayer. Buffy screamed through the pain and pushed with more strength than she thought possible. She could not really feel the baby going through – everything around her was just pain, pain and pain. Though above, she could see Spike's smiling face, and that made her want to continue.

 

Then it felt like something just slipped out of her, and she heard the doctor:

 

"Congratulations! You have a baby girl!"

 

"She's so beautiful, pet… Just like you… You are both so beautiful," Spike said as he cut the cord between mother and child. The baby's screams echoed through the room, and to Spike, it was one of the most beautiful sounds ever.

 

The baby was put in a pink blanked after having been weighed and dried. Then a nurse put her on Buffy's chest so the baby could feed for the first time. Spike watched, so proud he could not put words to it.

 

"She's so beautiful…"

 

Seconds later, Buffy lost consciousness.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Spike walked into the waiting area and the whole group who had been waiting anxiously, stood up. Dawn walked over to Spike.

 

"Is she okay? Is the baby okay?" she asked, her eyes pleading.

 

He looked sad. "The baby is good, she's so beautiful…" he mumbled, almost to himself.

 

"Oh my god, she had a girl?!" Dawn threw herself on Spike. "That is so cool… Can we go see her now? Please?" She stopped in her tracks as she noticed Spike did not look happy. "Spike, what's wrong with Buffy?"

 

He lifted his eyes, meeting Dawn's. Tears were forming in hers. "She… She's unconscious," Spike said, almost as though he was trying to convince himself of the fact. "They call it a coma," he continued quietly. "She just… disappeared… from me."

 

"Oh god…" Dawn mumbled, tears now falling down her cheeks. "She-she's gonna be okay, right?" She led the broken man to the couch, and made him sit down. Then she sat down next to him.

 

"They don't know, Nib. She lost a lot of blood, and she was in so much pain… They don't know."

 

The rest of the gang were just standing there, neither had said a word since Spike came back. Willow was crying quietly with Tara holding her. Dawn looked over at Xander, and for the first time, he looked old to her. Tired. Giles was looking down on the floor; Dawn doubted he was crying. He had not when Buffy died a year earlier, though he now seemed not too far from it.

 

"I want to see her," Dawn said to Spike. "Can I see her?"

 

"I-I think so, Bit. Talk to the doctor."

 

"Come with me please," she begged. "She needs you in there. She'll come back if we want her to."

 

She turned to the rest of the group. "I don't mean to sound rude now," she told them, "But maybe you should go home. Sleep some. We'll call if something… changes here." The others, to her surprise, nodded, and one by one they left.

 

"Spike, let's go," Dawn said, making him get up. He looked at her, his eyes red, and followed.

 

 

* * *

 

 

It was warm.

 

Not the kind of heat that Sunnydale was hit with every summer, no, it was a nice warmth that just surrounded her. The gentle breeze she felt was like the feel of feathers on her skin, and she smiled to herself.

 

Buffy enjoyed the feel of the sun on her face, and how the grass tickled her feet. Far off, she could see the outline of mountains, white snowy mountains. She wondered for a second if she should walk there and play with the snow. It seemed like a nice idea, yet she sat down instead, right by the little river gently purling off between the hills.

 

She could feel a presence behind her, but did not turn around. She could tell it was not there to hurt her.

 

A small child sat down next to her. It was a girl, looking slightly younger than Dawn. She was wearing jeans and a white, light button-down shirt and her dark hair flew freely behind her.

 

"Why am I here?" Buffy asked. It seemed like something she should do.

 

"We need to tell you some things, Buffy," the girl told her. She looked up and caught Buffy's eyes. The girls eyes were clear blue, and looked inhuman. But for some reason, Buffy did not care.

 

"Where is she?" Buffy asked, a slight worry tugging on her mind as though it was something she should remember. She did not know who the 'she' she was referring to, but it felt important.

 

"No need to worry, Buffy. She is fine." The girl fell silent again, and the two women watched the dark blue water for a while. It could have been just seconds; it could have been years. Buffy could not tell.

 

"We took you here so that you could know why she was given to you, Buffy," the girl said. "To take her into the future, you need to know."

 

"My baby," Buffy breathed, finally remembering.

 

"Yes, your baby. But you know as well as we do that she is more than that, don't you?" Buffy nodded at the girl, and the girl continued.

 

"She was made out of evil turned good – the vampire turned human – and from the good influenced by darkness. That means you, Buffy, and Spike. The Slayer and her Vampire."

 

"What is she?" Buffy asked. She was no longer looking at the girl; she only followed the water's calming motions.

 

"That we can't tell you. We are only telling you why the things that have already happened did happen."

 

"So tell me."

 

Buffy's voice was not bored, neither was it interested. It just told the girl to go on, and she did.

 

"The night your baby was created, we had sent a special sort of demon to your world. Uriels are Angels of Love, and they are immortal. They in their turn sent Gearys, Change demons. Spike killed them, but he let their blood mix with his. Shortly thereafter, you found him.

 

"This is where the Uriels really went into work. They cast their spell on you to make love that night, because the time was for Her to be created. Also, to make the Vampire a Human again, your blood needed to mix with his."

 

"My blood during the act, the Gearys' blood from the fight and the Uriels' spell made me pregnant and Spike a human?" Buffy asked, this time a slight bit surprise in her voice. Then she said to herself, "And he told me it only took two to tango."

 

A thought hit her. "Is everything we've felt these last few months just a result of the Uriels' spell then?"

 

"No, no, definitely not. It only lasted that night, to make you have sex. The rest is completely real. We are sorry that we could not wait for you to figure out your love by yourself, Buffy, but the timing was crucial. We had to do it."

 

Buffy nodded slowly. "No wonder we couldn't find anything about this in the books, if you decided that the time was suddenly up. No one could have foretold that."

 

The girl sat silent for a second and then shook her head slowly. "There are many prophecies about your child. She is special. She is the Child of Light, and she will influence the world greatly."

 

"Why did the Dark Lord want her?" Buffy asked quietly. Even in this place of calm and quiet could she feel the fright of seeing the fog that had been the Dark Lord.

 

"The Child of Light would have been turned in his hands. He would have made her restore him, he would have made her his. Your are lucky your Wicca friends both have cool heads, Buffy."

 

Silence followed, as Buffy remembered Willow and Tara's great rescue spell. She smiled slightly at the thought.

 

"Why did it feel like two powers were ripping me apart though? He tried to induce labor, didn't he?" Buffy asked.

 

"Indeed he did. The powers you felt were fighting, where the powers of good versus evil. He cast an evil spell of dark magic, and such magic could not create life. It could not make you go into labor, yet it tried and tried. The Dark Lord would have eventually succeeded though, because you would have gone into real labor. Until then, good would have been stronger. Then he would have won."

 

"So Will and Tara saved my baby."

 

"Yes, they did."

 

Silence followed, as Buffy thought back on the events of the day.

 

"Who are you?" she asked finally. The question had not hit her until right that very second.

 

"Don't you know me? I guess you don't, and it is not too odd. We met a year ago, when you died, although it was only briefly. We were sending you back, because you were not supposed to die back then. You had not fulfilled your destiny."

 

"You are not answering me," Buffy said, still only watching the river.

 

The girl was silent, and watched the water flow with Buffy for a moment. Finally, she let out what sounded like a sigh, and said,

 

"I am the Powers That Be. I think you know that, Slayer."

 

Buffy's head shot up at the last word. Slayer. It reminded her of Spike; when they were enemies, he would never call her by name even if he knew it very well – to him it was always 'Slayer'.

 

"When can I go back?" Buffy asked, suddenly feeling like a part of her was missing. She turned around to face the girl, but she was gone. She turned back to the river, but suddenly, that had disappeared too.

 

A moment later, she was surrounded only by a white haze.


	10. Chapter 10

Spike and Dawn sat down on one side each of Buffy. Spike took her hand in his, and mumbled to her, "Come back to me, Buffy."

 

Dawn thought it felt unreal. It reminded her of the last time her sister had been in the hospital, but then she had been awake. She knew that back then, Buffy had only been unconscious when Spike brought her in, but that she woke up fairly soon.

 

Now she did not look like she was about to wake up at all.

 

"She's gonna wake up, Nibblet," Spike told her as though he had read her mind.

 

"Yeah," Dawn said, trying to sound hopeful. "She will."

 

Silence fell over the room, and only the soft beeping of the pulse machine was heard.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Several hours had passed, but time in the small hospital room seemed to stand still. Spike watched Buffy's chest rise and fall slightly with every breath she took. In his arms, he held a small bundle. The little baby Buffy had delivered to the world, just before she fell into the coma.

 

The little girl was sleeping contently in her father's arms at the moment, with no clue of the commotion she had brought on, or the danger her mother was still in. Her eyes were closed and she had a finger in her mouth, sucking on it happily in her sleep. She had thin, blonde hair, a teeny nose and ten tiny toes. Spike thought she was nothing but a small wonder.

 

"You see her, pet?" he asked quietly to not wake the other sleeping girl in the room – Dawn. The Nibblet had fallen asleep an hour earlier, exhausted. But she had refused to leave the room, and finally a nurse had brought an armchair into the room and she was now sleeping in that.

 

"She is so beautiful, the Nibblet agrees with me, you know." He changed position in the chair slightly, and the baby made a sound but continued to sleep.

 

"You need to come back and see for yourself, Slayer," Spike told her.

 

Suddenly, Buffy stirred. It was not much, but it was enough for his enhanced senses to feel it, and he took her hand with his free one.

 

He felt her squeeze it.

 

"Buffy, come on, you can do it. Come on, wake up, pet. Come back to me," he urged her. The baby in his arms woke up, but she did not scream. In some way, it felt like she knew something important was happening, and she just watched as Spike urged her mother to wake up.

 

Buffy's eyelids fluttered, and opened half way.

 

"S-Spike…?" she mumbled quietly, disoriented.

 

"I'm here, pet, I'm here. Shush, don't talk, don't do anything, you're okay, love." He touched her face with his free hand, but when he bent over to do so, the baby in his arms made a sound.

 

"Look, love, there is someone else here who's happy to see you."

 

 

* * *

 

 

It was a happy afternoon in the hospital. Once Dawn had sprinted to the phone and called everyone about Buffy waking up, the gang returned. Spike had been in the room the whole time, holding his daughter and sitting by his fiancé. He refused to leave either.

 

Buffy herself was feeling better by the minute, and only minutes after she had first woken up, she had said, "I want to hold her… Can I, please?"

 

"Yeah, you can hold her," Spike had told her. He placed the precious cargo gently in Buffy's arms, though he still held her. He was not sure she had enough strength. The baby laid still in her arms, seeming to know that this was her mother.

 

"Hey little one," Buffy had said gently, her voice revealing she was still tired. "Guess if I'm happy to see you."

 

Dawn had come back from phoning the Scooby Gang, and she had told Buffy, "I know this is gonna sound cheesy, but she looks just like you. Same eyes."

 

When the gang arrived at the hospital, the baby had fallen asleep again. She was once more in Spike's arms, Buffy too having drifted off once more.

 

Willow and Tara both 'oohed' and 'aahed' at the little girl and Anya told Xander, "I want one of those too." Giles just watched his Slayer and her child proudly. She truly did feel like a daughter to him. The best daughter he could have ever wished for.

 

 

* * *

 

 

A day later, Buffy was allowed to leave, though with orders on lots of resting. Buffy promised, though she knew it was a lie. Between the still upcoming wedding and her baby, she would not get much rest.

 

The baby did not prove to be too much trouble though. She slept most of the time, cried only a little when she was hungry or when she needed to get changed. Also, both Spike and Dawn quickly learned how to change on her, though it was a task neither did willingly.

 

It was five days before the wedding and their daughter was three days old when Spike and Buffy were both on their bed in their room. Buffy had the baby in her arms; she was feeding. It was an odd sensation, she still thought about feeding her child from her breast. But good odd.

 

"We still haven't decided on a name for her," Buffy said, after a few minutes of silence.

 

Spike looked down at her. He was sitting behind her, his arm around his fiancé and wife. "No pet, we haven't," he said.

 

"I know we were discussing those normal names. You know, Caitlin, Anna, Mariah… It's just that I've been thinking more about it. And…" Her voice trailed off.

 

"And what, love?"

 

"Well, not to run you and any of your suggestions over –" Buffy looked slightly guilty "–but I want a name that means something to me. A reminder of how close we were of losing her."

 

"You have any name or meaning in particular in mind?" Spike smiled gently down at his daughter.

 

After hesitating for a second, Buffy said, "I want her name to mean light. Because it was light that saved her. And I've been looking on the internet to find a name I like and I did find one."

 

When she paused again, Spike asked, "What name, pet?"

 

"Eleanor. It means light."

 

Spike thought for a second, then decided. "It's a nice name. I like it."

 

"I still think we should run it by Dawn – not that she should decide, but I would like it if she liked it too," Buffy babbled nervously, not really hearing what Spike had just said.

 

"Pet," Spike interrupted, "I said I like it. And I'm sure the Niblet will too."

 

Buffy smiled at him happily. "You think so? I mean you really think you want that name for our baby?"

 

"Yeah. I really think I do."

 

Buffy leaned over and kissed him. Eleanor protested slightly when her mother moved, and Buffy smiled at her daughter.

 

"There is something else, Spike." She looked up at him. "Something I've been meaning to tell you."

 

"What, pet?"

 

"Well, it's kind of hard to explain, a-and I'm not sure you'll believe it."

 

"Try me, love, I think that as a former vampire, I can take quite a lot."

 

Buffy gave him a small smile. "Actually, it's about that. Among other things." She paused, and Spike let her collect herself. "When I was in a coma, I was… taken somewhere. It was a very calm place, that is all I really remember about it…" She looked thoughtful for a second, but then remembered what she was supposed to tell Spike about.

 

"I met someone there. And she… she told me about a lot of things. About Eleanor, and about us. Why you became human again." By Spike's surprised look, she could tell she had his attention. "This girl, she said that they had sent Uriels, Love Angels, here that same night that when we first… made love." She wondered if it was the correct term, if it had been spell induced. Maybe it should just have been 'had sex'. She decided not to ponder it. She wanted to believe Eleanor was made out of pure love.

 

"And she said that the demons you killed earlier that night – Geary Demons – were the demons of change. T-they are what brought on the whole back-to-human-thingy. That and I think my blood had to do with it too."

 

"Buffy, love, who was this girl? Geary Demons… I haven't heard of those in a bloody century, they are very rare, and always called by the Powers."

 

Buffy looked down at her daughter. "That's just it, Spike. The girl I met was the Powers."

 

 

* * *

 

 

They had been talking into the morning hours. Buffy had told Spike every word the girl had told her, and to her surprise, Spike had believed her. She had told him about Eleanor being the Child of Light, and how he was the "evil turning good" and that she was "good influenced by darkness".

 

"It's because you are the Slayer, love. Though you fight for the good side, your powers are rooted in darkness, and it is darkness you fight. Nothing to be scared of, just fact."

 

She was thankful she had such and understanding boyfriend, and for the first time, she also appreciated the knowledge he had from being over a hundred years old.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The next morning, Spike left for work and Buffy was left with Dawn and Eleanor. The baby was screaming her lungs out, and Buffy found herself wondering where the quiet, sweet child of the night before had gone.

 

Dawn came walking down the stairs. Buffy had called her in sick from school, so she could come with Buffy and try on her bridesmaids dress and come with Buffy to a new fitting for her wedding dress, which would now have to be redone since she had already had her baby.

 

Also, Buffy wanted to spend some time with her little sister.

 

"Good morning," Buffy greeted over the noise of the screaming baby.

 

"Morning," Dawn muttered. "Can you get her to stop doing that?" Dawn's fascination with Eleanor had gone down quickly after she found out her lung capacities.

 

Buffy ignored her comment. "There is cereal and I think Spike made pancakes before he left for you. I'll join you in… a second," she finished with a sigh. When Dawn had disappeared into the kitchen, she sat down and pulled her shirt up. "Fine, eat then, little one," she told the baby. Eleanor did not need to be told twice; she sucked the milk greedily. Buffy was happy to have the baby quiet, and wondered why she had not begun eating the last time she had offered it.

 

When Eleanor had finished feeding, she promptly fell asleep. Buffy put her in the crib in her room, and then joined her younger sister in the kitchen.

 

"Ready to go soon?" she asked as she entered.

 

"Give me half an hour, okay?" her sister replied. Buffy nodded, taking out a bowl for herself and filling it with cereal.

 

"Spike and I discussed names for the baby yesterday," Buffy told Dawn after a few moments of silence.

 

"Come up with anything good?"

 

"We decided on her first name, actually. Her name is Eleanor." Buffy looked up nervously at her sister, hoping she would like it as much as Buffy did.

 

Dawn seemed to think for a second, deciding if she wanted her niece to be named Eleanor or not.

 

"Okay," she said finally. "I like it. May I ask why?"

 

"Well, Eleanor means light. And I wanted a name that reminded us how close we were of losing her, and of what saved her. So we chose her name to mean light."

 

"It's a pretty name. Any second names?"

 

"We thought she'd get to have one, yeah. You are the one who gets to decide what that name is."

 

"I get to decide? That's so cool." Dawn said excitedly. "Can I think about it?"

 

"Yeah, you can," Buffy told her, finishing her cereal and walking out of the kitchen. "You have another couple of days. Now, finish your breakfast and get ready to go."

 

 

* * *

 

 

Eleanor had been surprisingly quiet in the shop. Dawn had guarded her carriage while Buffy got her dress fitted for the last time, and the baby had slept through the whole deal. Then it was Dawn's turn to get her brides maid's dress corrected, and the baby girl slept through that too.

 

"You look gorgeous, Dawnie," Buffy told her sister.

 

The brides maid's dresses Buffy had chosen for Willow and Dawn were light blue, down to the floor with a straight cut neckline and no arms. Both Willow and Dawn were in love with the dresses, which made Buffy happy.

 

Her own dress was a little more detailed and bridal looking. It was creamy white, with the same kind of neck cut as Willow and Dawn's. It went down to the floor, some of it was going to be flowing on the floor behind her. She had small gloves, a veil falling softy in front of her face and behind her, and on top, a tiny little crown with stones in it.

 

"You didn't look too bad either," Dawn said and twirled around in her dress. "Have I told you how much I like this?"

 

The sisters smiled at each other, both glad the other one was happy.

 

A while later, they were done in the bridal shop. After another couple of errands, Buffy decided that the three should eat lunch. They sat down in a small café. Buffy fed Eleanor before her and Dawn's food came, and the baby had fallen asleep again by the time the two grownups began eating.

 

"This is nice," Buffy commented. "Sitting here, with my sister, eating lunch. Very normal."

 

"Don't forget your daughter," Dawn smiled.

 

"Well, I still haven't decided on whether she goes into the 'normal' category, you know. Not saying that I don't love her with all my heart, but I'm not used to having her around yet."

 

"I know," Dawn admitted. "It's weird for me too. I mean, yeah you've been pregnant for like forever, and I've had time to get used to it, but still – it's a baby. You're a mom. Still on the unreal side."

 

Buffy was quiet for a moment, watching her sister. "Do you think I'll be a good mom?" she asked.

 

Dawn looked up, not ready for that kind of question, yet knowing the answer to it. "Yeah, B, you will. Just look at me. You've taken care of me for over a year now, and I'm still intact, aren't I?"

 

Buffy smiled and looked down in her food as Dawn continued.

 

"You're gonna be great. Elle –" Dawn had already decided on the baby's nickname "– is gonna have the best parents around here, cause she has you and Spike. You love her, both of you, and you love each other. And I'm thinking you are going to continue to do that for quite a while, you know what I mean?"

 

Dawn watched her sister, who looked like she was going to cry. "Now, now," Dawn said, "None of that. I didn't say all that to make you cry."

 

"Sorry," Buffy smiled. "It's just… thank you."

 

"You're welcome."

 

Buffy sat silent for a second, then she said, "Now, Spike told me something about you and Richie and the night I was gone…"

 

 

* * *

 

 

The reception was to be held in a small chapel fairly close to Buffy's house. On the day of the wedding, it was filled with people.

 

"I didn't know we knew this many people," Willow said to Dawn as they were walking around in the lobby.

 

"Me neither," Dawn said. "Let's see… Those are some of Spike's friends –" she pointed at some demons talking in the corner "– those are a couple of Buffy's friends from school."

 

"Yeah, I recognize one or two of them from my classes," Willow said. "And let me guess that those are some of your friends?" She pointed at a group of young teen girls standing by the table with the presents.

 

"Yeah, Buffy told me to invite a grand total of five," Dawn smiled.

 

"Well, it is her wedding." The two continued to walk, heading for the changing rooms where Buffy was holding up. Spike was on the other side of the building, in another room with Xander, getting himself ready.

 

"Is your dad coming?" Willow asked.

 

Dawn looked down at the floor before meeting Willow's eyes. "No. We sent him an invitation, but he hasn't replied. I think we're gonna stop trying now. He didn't come for mom's funeral, he doesn't want to see his grand child and he doesn't want to see his daughter get married. What a dad, huh?"

 

Willow smiled sadly at the teen. "I'm sorry, Dawnie."

 

"What do you have to be sorry for? It's no one's fault but his. Besides, I've stopped caring."

 

Something in the teen's voice told Willow that that was not the truth, but did not press the subject any further. They reached Buffy's room and knocked. "Come in if you are Willow or Dawn, if not, go out and mingle," they heard Buffy's voice.

 

"It's us," Dawn said, walking inside. There was Buffy, clad in her wedding gown, looking more beautiful than either of the girls had ever seen her.

 

"Buffy… Wow… You look so good!" Dawn exclaimed.

 

The petite Slayer blushed, and checked herself in the mirror. She had a small amount of make-up on – some eye shadow and mascara, light pink lip-gloss and a hint of pink on her cheeks. Though Dawn did not know if the latter was just embarrassment from Dawn's comment.

 

"Thank you," Buffy said finally.

 

"So, are you ready to get married?" Willow asked, at the same time bending down and straightening Buffy's dress out.

 

Buffy was silent for a second, seeming to ponder the question. "You know what," she said, "I think I am."

 

The three girls smiled and the room was quiet for a moment.

 

"Elle is out with Tara, just so you know," Dawn told her sister. "When the ceremony starts, I will have her so she's close to you if she gets… unhappy."

 

The redhead, the brunette and the bride were all now ready to go. Tara was going to come by when the people had taken their seats, and Spike had entered. So for now, it was just a small wait.

 

Somewhere between five and ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Buffy's thoughts, which had been on the vows she was about to give, were interrupted by Tara's voice.

 

"It's a-all ready. Spike's entering in a second, so y-you should get going too," she said, handing Eleanor over to Dawn. The baby was asleep, and with any luck, she would stay that way throughout the ceremony.

 

Buffy took her daughter from Dawn. She placed a gentle kiss on Eleanor's forehead, and whispered her, "Now mommy's gonna get married, sweetheart."

 

 

* * *

 

 

The music began playing, and Spike felt nervous. It was a feeling he had not felt in a long time, but right now, that was the only way to describe it. He changed his weight from one foot to the other. He locked eyes with Xander, who was standing a few feet away, acting as his best man. The younger man looked almost as fidgety as Spike himself. Then Spike felt the people's gaze wander from him to the back of the room when footsteps were heard.

 

Willow entered first. She was holding a little bouquet of flowers, similar to the one Buffy had, but smaller. The light blue gown swayed gently as she walked down the isle.

 

After her came Dawn, clad in the same sort of light blue dress, but instead of a bouquet of flowers, she held her niece in her arms.

 

When the bridesmaids had entered and sat down, the bride came.

 

Buffy looked as though she was floating down the isle, a huge smile on her face. Several 'oohs' were heard from the audience.

 

"You look…" Spike whispered to her as she reached him. He did not finish the sentence – he could not find a word that was appropriate.

 

"Thank you," she whispered back.

 

The minister began talking, but Buffy could not hear. She was standing here, in a chapel, with all the people she loved – and some more – around her, and she was getting married to the one she loved the most. He looked gorgeous. He had a dark blue tuxedo on, a white shirt underneath. His hair held gel, but only a little. It was gently tousled into small curls.

 

She began listening again when the minister said; "William Walthrop, do you take Buffy Anne Summers to be your lawfully wedded wife, to honor and to hold, in sickness and in health until death do you part?"

 

The look in his eyes when he met her gaze had never been more honest, nor had it held more love, when he replied, "I do."

 

Xander stepped forward and gave the small gold ring to Spike, whom placed it on Buffy's finger.

 

"And do you, Buffy Anne Summers, take thee William Walthrop, to be your lawfully wedded husband, and to honor and hold him, in sickness and in health until death do you part?"

 

She looked up at him, met his eye with a smile, and the words formed easily on her tongue.

 

"I do."

 

Willow handed her the ring, and she placed it on her love's finger. He grinned happily at her.

 

"And so I now pronounce you husband and wife," the minister said, "You may now kiss the bride."

 

Spike placed a gentle finger on her face and lifted Buffy's chin up. He bent down and was about to kiss her, when a scream was heard.

 

Buffy looked up, and met her sister's eye. A second later, Dawn came rushing forward with the angry baby in her arms.

 

"I'm sorry," Dawn said to her sister, "She just woke up."

 

"It's okay Dawn…" Buffy smiled. "She just wanted in on the action."

 

The little girl had settled in her mother's arms, and Buffy turned to Spike. "Now, where were we? I think you were about to kiss me in public without anyone interrupting."

 

"Oh yes, I think I bloody well was…"

 

He bent down, and with their daughter in between the two of them, they kissed.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"I think I'm gonna turn in," Dawn admitted with a yawn.

 

It was three in the morning, and the gang were all the Summer's house. Tara and Willow were sitting on the floor, the redhead leaning against the blonde. Xander and Anya were not sitting together – they occupied a chair each – though Dawn thought that if they were indeed sitting together, they would not be aware of much else than each other in the room.

 

Giles had left earlier in the evening with the rest of the people in his age. He had given the newly wedded his blessings, and told his Slayer that he was proud of her for following her heart. At that, Buffy had cried and hugged her Watcher.

 

The couple in question was occupying the couch together, with Eleanor in Buffy's arms. The baby was sleeping, but her parents were still awake.

 

"Okay Dawnie," Buffy said with a smile at her sister. "We'll see you tomorrow. Thank you for a wonderful day."

 

Dawn went ahead to the couch and hugged her older sister. "I'm glad you had a good day, B. And you too, Spike," she added.

 

"Thanks bit."

 

Buffy and Spike had decided not to go on a honeymoon right away after the wedding. They were going to wait for at least a couple of months – until Eleanor was big enough to be left behind. Dawn had had to promise she would baby-sit for a week when they went away.

 

Dawn fished up the camera she had had hanging around her neck all afternoon and night, and she quickly snapped some pictures of the couples in the room. Then, after another set of good nights, she walked up the stairs in her room.

 

She closed the door after her, and went over to her drawer. From it she took a small box, and with the box in her hands, she sat down on the bed.

 

"Look mom," she said as she opened the box. "I got them developed now. I don't have the ones from the wedding just yet, but I think they'll be great."

 

She took out two pictures from the box. "These are my favorites, but you already know that."

 

The first one showed the pregnant Buffy, lying in Spike's arms, both fast asleep on the couch that night when they were supposed to watch a movie.

 

"It was so typical," Dawn continued to talk for herself. "You know mom, she's just like you, I should expect it. You fell asleep during movies, then of course she does. But Spike? He doesn't usually."

 

Dawn put the picture aside and took her favorite out.

 

"I wish you were here, mom. I know you'd be so happy to see Elle. She's got a very loud scream, but you'd love her. Definitely. And you'd love to see Buffy so happy…"

 

She trailed off, lost in thought. Then she seemed to hear a question in the air. "If I'm happy?" she asked quietly. "I don't know. But, Spike makes me happy, and Buffy makes me happy, and they are both happy, so I'm surrounded by the happy really."

 

She sat quiet again. "Everything would be different if you were here. I don't know if-if I would be happier, but… Actually, you know what, I am happy. Buffy is happy. Spike is happy. They love me, I love them, I love Elle, and yeah, for the first time in a-a very long time, I am happy."

 

She put the picture down on the bed.

 

"We're family now, you know. Hopefully you'll always watch over us, but now, we are family."

 

She turned the light above her bed off. On her nightstand, the picture taken just a couple of hours earlier – before the wedding – was lying. It showed a smiling quartet. The former vampire Spike, the Slayer named Buffy, the Child of Light named Eleanor and the key turned human who was Dawn. For the first time in many long months, the picture showed the truth – it showed happy people.

 

Maybe it was not the normal family, but it was a family none the less.

 

Not normal.

 

Odd.

 

But nice.

 

 

End – of this story at least…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the answer to Challenge no 23 on Death Marked Love. Here's the challenge:
> 
> 1) Buffy and Spike spend the night together (if you know what I mean).
> 
> 2) Buffy becomes pregnant and has to tell Spike its his and Spike turns
> 
> human.
> 
> 3) Spike asks her to marry him and they get married and the kid is
> 
> born(can you pleeeaaaasssee name it Celeste? but you dont have to)
> 
> Optional: Buffy can have a miscarriage before the wedding but gets pregnant again
> 
> Include three or more of the following:
> 
> The color orange
> 
> The song Reflection by Christina Aguilera
> 
> A golf club
> 
> A kitten
> 
> Buffy dancing and Spike watching(she catches him staring)
> 
> Dawn getting engaged(AU)
> 
> Spike in a candy store
> 
> The video game Zelda
> 
> A can of Sprite
> 
> Simpsons the tv show
> 
> Spike wearing a pink shirt and Buffy laughing at him


End file.
